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Class _BI&33_ 

Book — Hl J a_. 

Copyright N° 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Behold, I stand at the door, 
and knock: if any man hear my 
voice, and open the door, I will 
come in to him, and will sup with 
him, and he with me. — Christ. 



A STORY OF 



JESUS 

THE CHRIST 



Chiefly 
FROM BIBLE TEXTS 
SELECTED AND COMPILED 

BY 

LOUIS A. DAMON 



RAND McNALLY & COMPANY 

CHICAGO 
1916 



Copyright, 1916 
By Louis A. Damon 




TABLE OF CONTENTS 

-v. ro 

. y PAGE 

V ^ I- Introduction 9 

^ II. Birth and Childhood of Jesus .... 15 

^ III. John the Baptist 20 

^ i IV. Early Ministry of Jesus 28 

V. The World's Greatest Teacher ... 38 

VI. Christ's Method of Teaching .... 46 

VII. Jesus, the True Physician 57 

VIII. The Sermon on the Mount 73 

IX. Entry into Jerusalem 80 

X. Instructions to the Disciples .... 92 

XL Betrayal of Jesus 104 

XII. Christ Is Crucified 113 

XIII. The Resurrection 120 

XIV. The Good Shepherd 128 

Notes 135 



7 



INTRODUCTION 



In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with 
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the begin- 
ning with God. All things were made by him; and without 
him was not anything made that was made. And the God 
of Glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in 
Mesopotamia, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy coun- 
try, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which 
I shall show thee. 

And God spake on this wise ; that Abraham's seed should 
sojourn in a strange land, and that they should be brought 
into bondage, and entreated evil four hundred years; and 
after that they should come forth and serve God without 
fear, in holiness and righteousness. 

Now Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob; and 
Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs; and the patriarchs, moved 
with envy, sold Joseph their brother, into Egypt. But God 
was with Joseph, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, 
and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, 
king of Egypt; and Pharaoh made Joseph governor over 
Egypt and all his house. 

But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God 
had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in 
Egypt, till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 
The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evilly treated 
our fathers, casting out their male children, to the end they 
might not live; in which time Moses was born, and he was 
exceeding fair, and was nourished up in his father's house 
three months, when his mother took a basket made of bul- 
rushes, and putting the baby boy therein, laid him by the 
river's brink. 

9 



10 



INTRODUCTION 



And behold, the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash 
herself in the river, and when she saw the basket, she sent 
one of her maids for it; and when it was brought, she opened 
it and seeing within it the baby crying, having compassion 
on him, she adopted him for her own son. And Moses be- 
came learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was 
mighty in words and in deeds, and God sent him to be a 
ruler and deliverer of his people Israel. And Moses brought 
them out after that he had shown wonders and signs in the 
land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness 
forty years. And Moses said unto the children of Israel, 
A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your 
brethren, like unto me: him shall ye hear. 

Now the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth 
came by Jesus Christ. In him was life; and the life was the 
light of men. And the word in him was made flesh, and 
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of one 
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

And John the Baptist bare witness of Jesus, that all men 
through him might believe. Jesus is the true Light, which 
lighteth every man that cometh into the world; he also is 
that stone which was set at nought of the builders, which is 
become the head of the corner among all races and nations 
of men. 

And Jesus, when he was come, said unto his disciples, 
No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down 
from heaven, even the Son of man; and as Moses lifted up 
the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man 
be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have eternal life: for God so loved the world, 
that he gave his Son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life. God sent not his Son 



INTRODUCTION 



1 1 



into the world to condemn the world; but that the world 
through him might be saved. 

And now is light come into the world, but men love dark- 
ness rather than light, because their deeds are evil; for every 
one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the 
light, lest his deeds be reproved. But he that doeth truth 
cometh to the light, and it is made manifest that his deeds 
are wrought in God. 

Jesus was baptized by John ; and after he had spent forty 
days in both fasting and praying, he came forth as a teacher 
and healer of men: and there were brought unto him many 
which were taken with divers diseases and torments; and 
those which were possessed with devils; and those that had 
the palsy; and he healed them, every one. And there fol- 
lowed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and 
from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and 
from beyond Jordan. 

Now Jesus, when he went on his last trip up to Jerusalem, 
took the twelve disciples apart in the way and said unto them, 
Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be 
betrayed unto the scribes and they shall condemn him to 
death. And he straight ly charged them and commanded 
them to tell no man that thing, saying, The Son of man must 
suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief 
priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 

And Jesus spake further unto them, saying, I am the 
light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in 
darkness, but shall have the light of life. My doctrine is 
not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, 
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether 
I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his 
own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent me, the 
same is true. 



I 2 



INTRODUCTION 



And Jesus continued teaching and doing good until he 
was crucified and was taken up, after he had given com- 
mandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. To 
these apostles and to others he showed himself alive after 
his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 
forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the king- 
dom of God; and then, while they beheld, he was taken up, 
and a cloud received him out of their sight. 

And Peter preached the gospel of Christ, saying, Repent, 
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, 
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost : for the prom- 
ise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are 
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

And there was a great persecution against the church 
which was at Jerusalem, and they were scattered abroad 
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. And Saul, 
breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disci- 
ples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of 
him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found 
any of this belief, whether they were men or women, he 
might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 

And Saul, as he journeyed, came near Damascus: and 
suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven : 
and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art 
thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou per- 
secutest; and he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what 
wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, 
Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what 
thou must do. 

And the men which journeyed with Saul stood speechless, 
hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the 



INTRODUCTION 



13 



earth; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into 
Damascus; and he was three days without sight, and neither 
did eat nor drink. 

And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named 
Ananias; and to him, said the Lord in a vision, Ananias; and 
he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto 
him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, 
and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of 
Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a 
man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, 
that he might receive his sight. 

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of 
this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jeru- 
salem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to 
bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him> 
Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my 
name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of 
Israel. 

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house, 
and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, 
even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earn- 
est, hath sent me, that thou might est receive thy sight, and 
be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell 
from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight 
forthwith, and arose, and was baptized; and when he had 
received meat, he was strengthened. 

Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were 
at Damascus, and straightway he preached Christ in the 
synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard 
him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed 
them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came 
hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto 



14 



INTRODUCTION 



the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, 
and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving 
that Jesus was verily the Christ. 

After that, the Jews took counsel to kill Saul: but their 
laying await was known of him ; and they watched the gates 
day and night to kill thm. Then the disciples took Saul by 
night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when 
he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the 
disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not 
that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought 
him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen 
the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how 
he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 

And Saul, who is also called Paul, was with them coming 
in and going out of Jerusalem, and he spake boldly in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians. 
But his enemies continually went about to slay him, 
which when the brethren knew, they brought him down 
to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 

But after a time the churches* had rest throughout all 
Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified ; and walking 
in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, 
were multiplied. And the multitude of them that believed 
were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them 
that ought of the things which he possessed was his own: 
but they had all things common. 

And as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold 
them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 
and laid them down at the apostles' feet; and distribution 
was made unto every man according as he had need. 

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multi- 
tudes both of men and women. 

* Note i 



A STORY OF JESUS 

THE CHRIST 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 

All the generations from Abraham to David are 
fourteen generations; and from David until the carry- 
ing away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and 
from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are 
fourteen generations. 

And it came to pass, forty-two generations* after 
the time of Abraham, that there went out a decree 
from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be 
taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his 
own city. And Joseph also went up from the city of 
Nazareth, to Judea, unto the city of David, which is 
called Bethlehem, to be taxed. And there accom- 
panied him Mary his wife, being great with child. 

The angel of the Lord said unto Mary, Thou art 
highly favoured: the Lord is with thee: blessed art 
thou among women. Behold, thou shalt bring forth 
a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be 
great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and 
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his 
father David. He shall reign over the house of Jacob 
forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

And it was while they were at Bethlehem, that Mary 
brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in 

*Note 2 

15 



i6 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger : because 
there was no room for them in the inn. And when 
eight days were accomplished his name was called 
JESUS. " 

And there were in the same country shepherds 
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by 
night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon 
them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about 
them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel 
said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you 
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, 
for unto you is born this day in the city of David a 
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, and this shall be 
a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in 
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude 
of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory 
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will 
toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were 
gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said 
one to another, Let us now go unto Bethlehem, and 
see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord 
hath made known unto us. 

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and 
Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when 
they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying 
which was told them concerning this child. And all 
they that heard it wondered at those things which 
were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept 
all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 



17 



the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God 
for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it 
was told unto them. 

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea 
in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise 
men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he 
that is born king of the Jews ? for we have seen his star 
in the east, and are come to worship him. 

When Herod the king had heard these things, he 
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And 
when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes 
of the people together, he demanded of them where 
Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In 
Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the 
prophet. 

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise 
men, enquired of them diligently what time the star 
appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, 
Go and search diligently for the young child ; and when 
ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may 
come and worship him also. 

When they had heard the king, they departed; 
and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went 
before them, till it came and stood over where the 
young child was: and when they saw the star, they 
rejoiced with exceeding great joy: and when they were 
come, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, 
and fell down, and worshipped him. And when they 
had opened their treasures, they presented unto him 
gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh; and being 
2 



i8 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



warned of God in a dream that they should not return 
to Herod, they departed into their own country another 
way. 

And when the days of Mary's purification according 
to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought 
the child Jesus to Jerusalem, to present him to the 
Lord: and behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, 
whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just 
and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And 
the Holy Ghost was upon him; and it was revealed 
unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see 
death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 

And he came by the Spirit into the temple, when 
the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him 
after the custom of the law. Then took he him up 
in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now 
lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according 
to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people : 
a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy 
people Israel. 

And Joseph and Mary marvelled at those things 
which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them 
and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is 
set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. 

And, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to 
Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young 
child and Mary his mother, and flee into Egypt, and 
be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will 
seek the young child to destroy him. And Joseph 



BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS 



ig 



arose and took Jesus and his mother by night, and 
departed into Egypt. 

Now Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of 
the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, 
and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and 
in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, 
according to the time which he had diligently enquired 
of the wise men. 

But when this Herod was dead, behold, an angel 
of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 
saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, 
and go into the land of Israel: for he is dead which 
sought the young child's life; and he arose, and took 
Jesus and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 

But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in 
Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid 
to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God 
in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee; 
and dwelt in Nazareth : that it might be fulfilled which 
was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a 
Nazarene. 

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, 
filled with wisdom : and the grace of God was upon him. 

Now Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem every 
year at the feast of the passover, and when Jesus was 
twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the 
custom of the feast; and when they had fulfilled the 
days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind 
in Jerusalem: and Joseph and his mother knew not of 
it. But they, supposing him to have been in the 



20 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



company, went a day's journey; and they sought him 
among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 

And when they found him not, they turned back 
again to Jerusalem, seeking him; and it came to pass, 
that after three days they found him in the temple, 
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, 
and asking them questions. 

And all that heard him were astonished at his 
understanding and answers. And when his parents 
saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto 
him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy 
father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said 
unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not 
that I must be about my Father's business? 

But they understood not the saying which he spake 
unto them. And he went down with them, and came 
to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his 
mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And 
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour 
with God and man. 

JOHN THE BAPTIST 

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, 
a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of 
Abia : and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and 
her name was Elizabeth. And they were both right- 
eous before God, walking in all the commandments 
and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had 
no child, because that Elizabeth was barren : and they 
both were now well stricken in years. 



JOHN THE BAPTIST 



2 I 



And it came to pass, that while Zacharias executed 
the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 
there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing 
on the right side of the altar of incense. When 
Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon 
him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias : 
for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall 
bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall 
rejoice at his birth : for he shall be great in the sight of 
the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; 
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. Many 
of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their 
God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and 
power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the 
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just ; 
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 

Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I 
know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well 
stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto 
him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; 
and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee 
these glad tidings. Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and 
not able to speak, until the day that these things 
shall be performed, because thou believest not my 
words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled 
that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he 
came out, he could not speak unto them: and they 
perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for 



22 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And 
it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministra- 
tion were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 
And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and 
said, Thus hath the Lord dealt kindly with me to take 
away my reproach among men. 

Now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be 
delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her 
neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had 
shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with 
her and they called the child Zacharias, after the name 
of his father. But his mother answered and said, Not 
so ; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, 
There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 
And they made signs to his father, how he would have 
him called. And he asked for a writing table, and 
wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled 
all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his 
tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 

And fear came on all that dwelt round about them : 
and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout 
all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard 
them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner 
of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was 
with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the 
Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the 
Lord God of Israel: for he hath visited and redeemed 
his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for 
us in the house of his servant David, as he spake by 
the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since 



JOHN THE BAPTIST 



23 



the world began: — that we should be saved from our 
enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us, to 
perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to 
remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware 
to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, 
that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies 
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteous- 
ness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, 
child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for 
thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare 
his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his 
people by the remission of their sins, through the 
tender mercy of our God ; whereby the dayspring from 
on high hath visited us ; to give light to them that sit 
in darkness and in the shadow of death ; to guide our 
feet into the way of peace. 

And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, 
till the day of his showing unto Israel. And in the 
fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius 
Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being te- 
trarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of 
Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias 
tetrarch of Abilene, and Annas and Caiaphas being the 
high priests ; — the word of God came unto John the 
son of Zacharias. 

And he came into all the country about Jordan, 
preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission 
of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of 
Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying 
in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 



2 4 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



make his paths straight: every valley shall be rilled, 
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and 
the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough 
ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the 
salvation of God. 

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to 
be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath 
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring 
forth fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say 
within yourselves, We have descended from Abraham, 
our father: for I say unto you, God is able of these 
stones to raise up children unto Abraham: for now is 
the axe laid unto the root of the trees, and every tree 
therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn 
down, and cast into the fire. 

And the people asked him saying, What shall we do ? 
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two 
coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he 
that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also 
publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, 
what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no 
more than that which is appointed you. And the 
soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what 
shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to 
no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content in 
your wages. And many other things in his exhortation 
preached he unto the people. 

And as the people were in expectation, all men 
mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the 
Christ, or not : and John had his raiment of camel's hair, 



JOHN THE BAPTIST 



25 



and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was 
locusts and wild honey. 

To Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was 
baptizing, the Jews sent priests and Levites from 
Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he con- 
fessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, 
What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. 
Art thou that prophet ? And he answered, No. Then 
said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give 
an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou 
of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in 
the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as 
said the prophet Esaias. 

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees, 
and they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizeth 
thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither 
the prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize 
with water: but there standeth one among you, whom 
ye know not : he it is, who coming after me is preferred 
before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to 
unloose. 

He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with 
fire: whose fan is in his hand; and he will thoroughly 
purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner: 
but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable 
fire. 

Then cometh Jesus unto John, to be baptized of 
him: but John forbad him, saying, I have need to be 
baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus 
answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now : for thus 



26 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he 
suffered him. 

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight- 
way out of the water ; and, lo, the heavens were opened 
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God, descending 
like a dove, and lighting upon him; and lo, there 
came a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

And John said, This is he of whom I said, After me 
cometh a man which is preferred before me : for he was 
before me. And John bare record, saying, I saw 
the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and 
it abode upon him. And John bare further witness 
of Jesus, saying, A man can receive nothing, except 
it be given him from heaven. I am not the Christ, 
but am sent before him. He that hath the bride is 
the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, 
which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly 
because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy there- 
fore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must 
decrease. 

Now it was after John had baptized Jesus, and as 
he and two of his disciples stood looking upon him as 
he walked, that John the Baptist, the forerunner of 
Jesus saith, Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh 
away the sin of the world! And the two disciples of 
John heard what he saith and they followed Jesus. 
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said 
unto them, What seek ye ? They said unto him, Rabbi 
(which is to say, being interpreted, Master), where 



JOHN THE BAPTIST 



27 



dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. 
They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with 
him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 

One of the two which heard John speak, and 
followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 
Andrew findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto 
him, We have found the Christ. And he brought him 
to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou 
art Simon the son of Jona : blessed art thou Simon. 

Now as the forerunner of Christ, John did baptize 
and did preach the doctrine of repentance for the 
remission of sins and there went out unto him all the 
land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were baptized 
of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 
But Herod, the Tetrarch laid hold on John and bound 
him, and put him into prison for the sake of Herodias 
the wife of his brother Philip: for John had said unto 
Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's 
wife: and when he would have put John to death, he 
feared the multitude, because they counted him as a 
prophet. 

But later, when Herod's birthday was kept, the 
daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased 
Herod: whereupon he promised with an oath to give 
her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before 
instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John the 
Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: 
nevertheless, for the oath's sake, and them which sat 
with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 



2 8 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



And the head of John was brought in a charger, and 
given to the damsel : and she brought it to her mother. 
And the disciples came and took up the body, and 
buried it, and went and told Jesus. 

EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS 

And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, and about 
thirty years of age, was led by the spirit into the 
wilderness, remaining there forty days, communing 
with God and being also tempted of the devil: and in 
those days he did eat nothing. And when the forty 
days were ended he hungered : and the devil said unto 
him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone 
that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, 
saying, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, 
but by every word of God. 

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, 
showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a 
moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this 
power will I give thee, and the glory of them : for that 
is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give 
it. If thou therefore, wilt worship me, all shall be 
thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get 
thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt 
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou 
serve. 

And he brought him in a trance to Jerusalem, and 
set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, 
If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from 
hence : for it is written, He shall give his angels charge 



EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS 



over thee, to keep thee; and in their hands they shall 
bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against 
a stone : and Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, 
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when 
the devil had ended these temptations, he departed 
from him for a season. 

Then cometh Jesus to a city of Samaria, which is 
called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob 
gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. 
Jesus therefore, being wearied, rested at the well: 
and it was about the sixth hour. And there cometh 
a woman of Samaria to draw water and Jesus saith 
unto her, Give me please, a drink of water. Then 
saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that 
thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a 
woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings 
with the Samaritans. 

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest 
the gift of God, and who it is that asketh of thee a drink 
of water, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he 
would have given thee living water. The woman saith 
unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the 
well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living 
water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which 
gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his 
children, and his cattle? 

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever 
drinketh of this water shall thirst again : but whosoever 
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never 
thirst: but the water that I shall give him shall be in 



30 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 
The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, 
that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus 
said unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither: 
and the woman answering, said, I have no husband. 
Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no 
husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he 
whom thou now hast is not thy husband : in that saidst 
thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive 
that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in 
this mountain: and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the 
place where men ought to worship. 

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, Men 
worship they know not what: but the hour cometh, 
and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship 
the Father in spirit and in truth : for the Father seeketh 
such to worship him. God is a spirit; and they that 
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth : 
and the woman saith unto him, I know that the 
Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is 
come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, 
I that speak unto thee am he. The woman then left 
her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith 
to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things 
that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 

Then they went out of the city, and came unto him, 
and when some had asked if anyone had brought him 
something to eat, Jesus saith unto them, My meat 
is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his 
work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and 



EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS 



then cometh harvest; for behold, I say unto you, Lift 
up your eyes, and look on the fields : for they are white 
already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth 
wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal : that both 
he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice 
together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, 
and another reapeth. 

And continuing, he said, This is the day when ye 
reap that whereon ye have bestowed no labour: other 
men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. 
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on 
him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He 
told me all that ever I did. Then the Samaritans 
besought him that he would tarry with them; and he 
abode there two days. And many more believed 
because of his own word, and said unto the woman, 
Now we believe, not because of thy saying : for we have 
heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the 
Christ, the Saviour of the world. 

There was a marriage at which the mother of 
Jesus was present and Jesus also was called to the 
marriage: and when they wanted wine the mother of 
Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine: and she 
said unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, 
do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, 
after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, con- 
taining two or three firkins apiece. Then said Jesus 
unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they 
filled them up to the brim. 

And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear 



32 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



unto the governor of the feast. And they did so. 
And when the ruler of the feast had tasted the water 
that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, 
(but the servants which drew the . water knew) the 
governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith 
unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth 
good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that 
which is worse : but thou hast kept the good wine until 
now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of 
Galilee. And the servants believed on him for what 
he had done. 

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been 
brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 
And there was delivered unto him the book of the 
prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, 
he found the place where it was written, The Spirit 
of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me 
to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to 
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the 
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at 
liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable 
year of the Lord. 

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the 
minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that 
were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. And 
he began to say unto them, This day is the scripture 
fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and 
wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out 
of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 



EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS 



And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, No 
prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell 
you of a truth, many widows were in Isreal in the days 
of Eli as, when the heaven was shut up three years and 
six months, when great famine was throughout all 
the land: but unto none of them was Elias sent, save 
unto Sarepta. And many lepers were in Israel in the 
time of Elias the Prophet: and none of them was 
cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard 
these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and 
thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow 
of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might 
cast him down headlong. But he, passing through the 
midst of them, went his way, and leaving Nazareth, he 
came and dwelt in Capernaum, a city of Galilee, which 
is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and 
Nephthalim. 

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand : 
repent ye, and believe the gospel. And he taught them 
on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at his 
doctrine: for his word was with power. 

And on one of the Sabbath days as he was teaching 
in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit 
of an unclean devil, and cried out, with a loud voice, 
saying, Let us alone : what have we to do with thee, thou 
Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I 
know thee who thou art ; the Holy One of God. And 
Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come 
3 



34 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in 
the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 

And they were all amazed, and spake among them- 
selves, saying, What being is this! for with authority 
and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and 
they come out. And the fame of him went out into 
every place of the country round about. 

And forthwith, when Jesus came out of the syna- 
gogue he entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, 
with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay 
sick of a fever : and anon, they tell him of her. And he 
came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up : and 
immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto 
them. 

And at even, when the sun did set, they brought 
unto him all that were diseased, and them that were 
possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered 
together at the door. And he healed many that were 
sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils: and 
suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 

And it came to pass as Jesus taught the people, that 
he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and they pressed 
upon him to hear the word of God ; and there were two 
ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were 
gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he 
entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and 
prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the 
land: and he sat down, and taught the people out of 
the ship. 

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, 



EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS 35 



Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for 
a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, 
Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken 
nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the 
net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a 
great multitude of fishes ; and their net brake ; and they 
beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other 
ship, that they should come and help them. And 
they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began 
to sink. 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' 
knees, saying, Depart from me: for I am a sinful man, 
O Lord. For he was astonished, and all the people 
with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had 
taken. And so also were James, and John, the sons of 
Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus 
said to them, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt 
become fishers of men. 

And when they had brought their ships to land, 
they forsook all, and followed him. And thus it was 
that Simon, with Andrew his brother, and the two 
brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were 
numbered among the first disciples of Jesus. 

Now the fame of him began to spread abroad 
throughout that whole region and Jesus, being fully 
acquainted with Philip, asked him also to become one 
of his disciples. And Philip who was of Bethsaida, the 
city of Andrew and Peter, thenceforth became one of 
the leading disciples of Jesus. 

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We 



36 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the 
prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of 
Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there 
any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith 
unto him, Come and see. Jesus seeing Nathanael 
coming to him, saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, 
in whom is no guile! Nathaniel saith unto him, 
Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said 
unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou 
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael 
answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the 
Son of God: thou art the King of Israel. And Jesus 
said, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the 
fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things. 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their 
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, 
and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of 
disease among the people. And he ordained twelve, 
that they should be with him, and that he might send 
them forth to preach, and to have power to heal 
sicknesses, and to cast out devils. 

Simon, he surnamed Peter: and James the son of 
Zebedee, and John the brother of James, them he 
surnamed Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder. 
And others with him were, Andrew, and Philip, and 
Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James 
the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the 
Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him. 
And together they occupied an house. And the 
multitude cometh together, so that they could not so 



EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS 37 



much as eat bread: and when the friends of Jesus 
heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him : for they 
said, He is beside himself. 

And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem 
said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the 
devils casteth he out devils. And he said unto them 
in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a 
kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot 
stand: and if a house be divided against itself, that 
house cannot stand: and if Satan rise up against him- 
self, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 
No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil 
his goods, except he will first bind the strong man ; and 
then he will spoil his house. Verily I say unto you, 
All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and 
blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme. 
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost 
hath never forgiveness: but is in danger of eternal 
damnation. 

Then came his brethren and, standing without, sent 
unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about 
him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy brethren 
without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, 
Who are my brethren ? And he looked round on them 
which sat about him, and said Behold, my brethren! 
For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my 
brother, and my sister. 

And Jesus taketh Peter and James, and John his 
brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain 
apart; and was transfigured before them: and his face 



38 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the 
light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses 
and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and 
said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if 
thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for 
thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud over- 
shadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, 
which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 
pleased: hear ye him. And when the disciples heard 
it, they fell on their faces, and were sore afraid. And 
Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise and be 
not afraid : and when they had lifted up their eyes, they 
saw no man save Jesus only. 

And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus 
charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until 
the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his 
disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes 
that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and 
said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore 
all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come 
already, and they knew him not, but have done unto 
him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the 
Son of man suffer of them. 

Then the disciples understood that he spake unto 
them of John the Baptist. 

THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEACHER 

A certain ruler asked Jesus, saying, Good Master, 
what shall I do to inherit eternal Life? And Jesus 



THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEACHER 



said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is 
good, save one: that is, God. Thou knowest the 
commandments, Do not kill : Do not commit adultery : 
Do not steal: Do not bear false witness: Honour thy 
father and thy mother. And he said, All these have 
I kept from my youth up. 

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto 
him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell what thou hast, 
and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have 
treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when 
he heard this, he was very sorrowful : for he was very 
rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, 
he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter 
into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel 
to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter 
into the kingdom of God. 

A certain lawyer at Jerusalem tempted Jesus in 
the temple, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit 
eternal life ? He said unto him,* What is written in the 
law ? how readest thou ? And he answering said, Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 
all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy 
mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said 
unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do and 
thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself 
said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

And Jesus, answering, said, A certain man went 
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, 
which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, 
and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance 

* Note 3 



4o 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



there came down a certain priest that way; and when 
he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And 
likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and 
looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came 
where he was : and when he saw him, he had compassion 
on him; and went to him, and bound up his wounds, 
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, 
and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And 
on the morrow when he departed, he took money and 
gave it to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him, 
and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, 
I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest 
thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the 
thieves ? 

As Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, on 
one of his trips to Jerusalem, there was a man named 
Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans: 
and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he 
was, and could not for the press: because he was 
little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up 
into a sycamore tree to see him : for he was to pass that 
way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked 
up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make 
haste, and come down : for to-day I must abide at thy 
house. 

And Zacchaeus made haste, and came down, and 
received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they 
all murmured, saying that he was gone to be guest 
with a man that is a sinner. 



THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEACHER 



41 



And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto Jesus, Behold, 
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor: and if 
I have taken any thing from any man by false accusa- 
tion, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, 
This day is salvation come to this house. 

And Jesus then added this parable, saying, A man 
travelling into a far country, called his servants, and 
delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave 
five talents; to another two, and to another one: to 
every man according to his ability: and straightway 
took his journey. Then he that had received the five 
talents went and traded with the same, and made 
them other five talents. And likewise he that had 
received two, he also gained other two. But he that 
had received one, went and digged in the earth, and 
hid his lord's money. 

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, 
and reckoneth with them. And he that had received 
five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, 
Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I 
have gained beside them five talents more. His lord 
said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful 
servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I 
will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into 
the joy of thy lord. 

He also that had received two talents came and 
said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: 
behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 
His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful 
servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I 



42 



A STORY OF JESUS —THE CHRIST 



will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into 
the joy of thy lord. 

Then he, which had received the one talent, came 
and said, Lord, I was afraid, and went and hid thy 
talent: for I feared thee, because thou art an austere 
man who takest up that thou layedst not down, and 
reapest that thou didst not sow. 

And he said unto him, Out of thine own mouth 
will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest 
that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not 
down, and reaping that I did not sow. Wherefore then 
gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my 
coming I might have required mine own with interest ? 
And to the other servants he saith, Take therefore, the 
talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten : 
for I say unto you, that unto every one which hath 
shall be given : and from him that hath not, even that 
he hath shall be taken away from him. 

Take heed therefore, of what ye hear: for with 
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: 
and unto you that hear shall more be given. 

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why 
speakest thou in parables? He answered and said, 
I speak in parables because the men of this generation 
seeing, see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither 
do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the 
prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall 
hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall 
see, and shall not perceive: for this people's heart is 
waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their 



THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEACHER 



43 



eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should 
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and 
should understand with their heart, and should be 
converted, and I should heal them. 

But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your 
ears, for they hear: for verily I say unto you, that 
many prophets and righteous men have desired to 
see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; 
and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not 
heard them. And with many parables spake he the 
word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But 
without a parable spake he not unto them: and when 
they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. 

And Jesus spake this parable unto certain ones 
which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, 
and despised others. Two men went up into the temple 
to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 
God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, 
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 
I fast twice in the week: I give tithes of all that I 
possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would 
not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven : but smote 
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified 
rather than the other: for every one that exalteth 
himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself 
shall be exalted. 

And the chief priests and the scribes sought to 
lay hands on Jesus: for they perceived that he had 



44 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



spoken this parable against them. And they watched 
him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves 
just men, that they might take hold of his words, that 
so they might deliver him unto the power and authority 
of the governor. 

And he taught all things by parables, saying, The 
kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed 
good seed in his field : and it came to pass, as he sowed, 
some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came 
and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, 
where it had not much earth; and immediately it 
sprang up, because it had no depth of earth : but when 
the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had 
no root, it withered away. And some fell among 
thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and 
it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, 
and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and 
brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some 
an hundredfold. 

But while men slept, an enemy came and sowed- 
tares among the wheat, and went his way: and when 
the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then 
appeared the tares also. So the servants of the 
householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not 
thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then 
hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath 
done this. And the servants said unto him, Wilt 
thou then that we go and gather them up? But he 
said, Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root 
up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together 



THE WORLD'S GREATEST TEACHER 45 



until the harvest : and in the time of harvest, I will say- 
to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and 
bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the 
wheat into my barn. He who hath ears to hear, let 
him hear. 

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of 
God. He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man. 
The field is the world: the good seed are the children 
of the kingdom: these are they which in an honest 
and good heart, having heard the word, receive it 
and bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty and 
some an hundredfold. Those by the wayside are 
they that hear: but when they have heard, Satan 
cometh immediately, and taketh away the word 
that was sown in their hearts. And these which are 
sown on stony ground are they, who, when they have 
heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, 
and have no root in themselves, and so endure but 
for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution 
ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are 
offended. And these which are sown among thorns 
are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and 
are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this 
life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 

The tares are the children of the wicked one; and 
the enemy that sowed them is the devil: the harvest 
is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 
As therefore, the tares are gathered and burned in the 
fire, so shall it be in the end of this world: the Son of 
man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather 



4 6 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them 
which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace 
of fire. 

And then shall the righteous shine forth as the 
sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears 
to hear, let him hear. So is the kingdom of God, as 
if a man should cast seed into the ground : and should 
sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should 
spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the 
earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, 
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But 
when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he 
putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 

CHRIST'S METHOD OF TEACHING 

(Continuing from Last Chapter) 

There was a certain householder, which planted a 
vineyard, and hedged it round about, and built a 
house on it and let it out to husbandmen and went 
into a far country. And when the time of the fruit 
drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, 
that they might receive the fruits of the vineyard. 
And the husbandmen took the servants, and beat one, 
and killed another, and stoned another. 

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: 
and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he 
sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence 
my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they 
said among themselves, This is the heir: come, let 
us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And 



CHRIST'S METHOD OF TEACHING 



they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, 
and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vine- 
yard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth 
it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed : but setteth 
it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see 
the light. For nothing is secret in this world, that 
shall not be made manifest: neither any thing hid, 
that shall not be known. For every tree is known by 
its fruits. A good tree bringeth not forth corrupt 
fruit, neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good 
fruit: and of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a 
bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man, out 
of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that 
which is good, while an evil man, out of the evil 
treasure of his heart, bringeth forth that which is evil. 
Of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 

A certain man had two sons: and he came to the 
first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he 
repented, and went. And he came to the second, and 
said likewise : and he answered and said, I go, sir : and 
went not. Which of them did the will of his father? 

The ground of a certain rich man brought forth 
plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, 
What shall I do, because I have no room where to 
bestow my fruits ? And he said, This will I do : I will 
pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will 
I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will 
say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up 



43 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



for many years: take thine ease: eat, drink, and be 
merry. But God said unto him, This night thy soul 
shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those 
things be, which he has provided? So is he that 
layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward 
God. 

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed 
in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every 
day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 
which was laid at his gate, full of sores and desiring 
to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich 
man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his 
sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and 
was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. 
The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell 
he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth 
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And 
he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on 
me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his 
finger in water, and cool my tongue : for I am tormented 
in this flame. 

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in 
thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,* and likewise 
Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou 
art tormented ; and beside all this, between us and you 
there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would 
pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass 
to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, 
I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send 
him to my father's house: for I have five brethren: 

*Note 4 



CHRIST'S METHOD OF TEACHING 



49 



that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into 
this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, 
They have Moses and the Prophets: let them hear 
them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but if one 
went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And 
he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the 
prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one 
rise and come unto them from the dead. 

When the Son of man shall come, he shall set the 
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 
Then shall the Father say unto them on his right hand, 
Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for 
you from the foundation of the world: for I was an 
hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and 
ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me in : 
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited 
me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then 
shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when 
saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and 
gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger and 
took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when 
saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 
And the Father shall answer and say unto them, Verily 
I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one 
of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it 
unto me.* 

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, 
Depart from me : for I was an hungered, and ye gave 
me no meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink : 
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and 

* Note 5 



5o 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



ye clothed me not : sick, and in prison, and ye visited me 
not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, When 
saw we thee an hungered, or a-thirst, or a stranger, or 
naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto 
thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily, I 
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the 
least of your brothers, ye did it not unto me. 

A certain man had two sons: and the younger of 
them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of 
goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them 
his living. And not many days after, the younger son 
gathered all together, and took his journey into a far 
country, and there wasted his substance with riotous 
living. And when he had spent all, there arose a 
mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in 
want: and he went and joined himself to a citizen of 
that country who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 
And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks 
that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 
And when he came to himself, he said, How many 
hired servants of my father's have bread enough and 
to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and 
go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I 
have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am 
no more worthy to be called thy son : make me as one 
of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his 
father. 

But when the son, returning, was yet a great way 
off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, 
and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said 



CHRIST'S METHOD OF TEACHING 



5i 



unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and 
in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy 
son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth 
the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on 
his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the 
fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 
for this my son was dead, and is alive again: he was 
lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 

Now the elder son was in the field, and as he came 
and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and 
dancing: and he called one of the servants, and asked 
what these things meant. And the servant said unto 
him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath" killed 
the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and 
sound : and he was angry, and would not go in. There- 
fore, came his father out, and entreated him to come 
in. And he, answering, said to his father, Lo, these 
many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at 
any time thy commandment: and yet thou never 
gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my 
friends. But as soon as this thy son is come, which 
hath devoured thy living, thou hast killed for him the 
fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever 
with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that 
we should make merry, and be glad : for this thy brother 
was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. 

Now what man of you, having an hundred sheep, 
if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and 
nine, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, 



52 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth 
together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, 
Rejoice with me : for I have found^my sheep which was 
lost. Verily, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more 
of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went 
not astray. Likewise joy shall be in heaven over one 
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and 
nine just persons, which need no repentance. 

Or what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she 
lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the 
house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when 
she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her 
neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me: for 
I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, 
I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels 
of God over one sinner that repenteth. 

A certain man made a great supper, and bade 
many; and sent his servant at supper time to say to 
them that were bidden, Come: for all things are now 
ready. And they all with one consent began to make 
excuses. The first said unto him, I have bought a 
piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I 
pray thee have me excused. And another said, I 
have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them : 
I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I 
have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So 
the servant came, and showed his lord these things. 
Then the master of the house being angry, said to his 
servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of 
the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, 



CHRIST'S METHOD OF TEACHING 



and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, 
Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet 
there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, 
Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel 
them to come in, that my house may be rilled: for I 
say unto you, That none of those men which were 
bidden shall taste of my supper. 

So I say unto thee, when thou makest a dinner, or 
a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither 
thy kinsmen, nor rich neighbours; lest they also bid 
thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But 
when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, 
the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed: for 
they cannot recompense thee. 

A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, 
and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, 
these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, 
and find none: cut it down. Why cumbereth it the 
ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let 
it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung 
it; and if it bear fruit, well: but if not, then after that, 
thou shalt cut it down. 

When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straight- 
way ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is: and 
when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will 
be heat : and it cometh to pass. * Ye can discern the 
face of the sky and of the earth: but how is it that ye 
do not discern this time ? Yea, and why even of your- 
selves judge ye not what is right? 

* Note 6 



54 A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



A certain king would take account of his servants, 
and when he had begun to reckon, one was brought 
unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 
But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord com- 
manded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and 
all that he had, and payment to be made. The 
servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, 
saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay 
thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved 
with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the 
debt. But the same servant went out, and found 
one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred 
pence, and he laid hands on him, and took him by the 
throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his 
fellow-servant fell down at his feet and besought him, 
saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 
And he would not : but went and cast him into prison, 
till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow- 
servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, 
and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 
Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto 
him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all thy debt, 
because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also 
have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as 
I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and 
delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all 
that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly 
Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive 
not your brothers their trespasses. 

An householder went out early in the morning to 



CHRIST'S METHOD OF TEACHING 55 



hire labourers; and when he had agreed with labourers 
at a certain amount per day, he sent them into his 
vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and 
saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said 
unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and what- 
soever is right I will give you : and they went. Again 
he went out about the sixth and ninth hours, and did 
likewise : and about the eleventh hour he went out, and 
found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why 
stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, 
Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, 
Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, 
that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the 
ord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the 
labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from 
the last unto the first. And when they came that 
were hired, they received every man the same. But 
when the first came, they murmured against the good 
man of the house, saying, These last have wrought but 
one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, 
which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But 
he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee 
no wrong; didst not thou agree with me at so much 
per day ? Take that thine is, and go thy way : I will give 
unto the last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful* for 
me to do thus? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many 
be called, but few chosen. 

Ten virgins, took their lamps, and went forth to 
meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and 

* Note 7 



5 6 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



five were foolish. They that were foolish took their 
lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took 
oil in their vessels with their lamps. And while the 
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the 
bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him. Then all 
those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps; and the 
foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil: for our 
lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, 
Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but 
go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; 
and they that were ready went in with him to the 
marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came 
also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I 
know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither 
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 

Now when thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, 
sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honour- 
able man than thou be bidden of him ; and he that bade 
thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man 
place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest 
room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in 
the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, 
he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher. Then 
shalt thou have the respect of those that sit at meat 
with thee.* 

* Note 8 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 



57 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 

There was a certain nobleman, whose son was 
sick at Capernaum, and when he heard that Jesus 
was come into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought 
him that he would come down, and heal his son: for 
he was at the point of death. 

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and 
wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith 
unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus 
saith unto him, Go thy way : thy son liveth. And the 
man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto 
him, and he went his way. 

And as he was now going down, his servants met 
him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then 
enquired he of them the hour when he began to mend. 
And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh 
hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was 
at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, 
Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole 
house. 

And it came to pass, as he went into the house of 
one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath 
day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was 
a certain man before him which was ill. And Jesus 
answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, 
saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? And 
they held their peace. 

And he took him, and healed him, and let him go: 
and answering them, said, Which of you shall have 



58 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway 
pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could 
not answer him again to these things: for as soon as 
he had spoken, immediately the man's illness departed 
from him, and he was well. And the Pharisees went 
forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians 
against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus 
withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a 
great multitude, when they had heard what great 
things he did, came unto him. 

And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship 
should wait on him, because of the multitude, lest they 
should throng him : for he had healed many, insomuch 
that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many 
as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw 
him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou 
art the Son of God. 

And again he entered into Capernaum after some 
days: and it was noised that he was there. And 
straightway many were gathered together, and he 
preached the word unto them. And they came unto 
him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne 
of four. And when they could not come nigh unto 
him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he 
was, and let down the bed wherein the sick of the 
palsy lay. 

When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick 
of the palsy. Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But 
there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and 
reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 



speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God 
only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in his 
spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said 
unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts ? 

Is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy 
sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up 
thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the 
Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (he 
saith to the sick of the palsy), I say unto thee, Arise, 
and take up thy bed, and go thy way : and immediately 
he arose, took up his bed, and went forth before them 
all, insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified 
God. And he went forth again by the sea side: and 
all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught 
them. 

And one morning, Jesus, rising up a great while 
before day, went out, and departed into a solitary 
place, and there prayed: and Simon and they that 
were with him followed after him. And when they 
had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for 
thee. And he said unto them, Let us go into the next 
towns, that I may preach there also : for therefore came 
I forth. And he preached in their synagogues through- 
out all Galilee, and cast out devils.* 

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was 
blind from his birth: and he spat on the ground, and 
made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of 
the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, 
wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, 
Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and 

* Note 9 



6o 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they 
which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is 
not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is 
he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 
Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes 
opened? He answered and said, A man that is called 
Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said 
unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I 
went and washed, and I received sight. Then said 
they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. 

Then they brought to the Pharisees him that 
aforetime was blind. And it was the Sabbath day when 
Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then 
again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received 
his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine 
eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of 
the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he 
keepeth not the Sabbath day.* Others said, How can 
a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there 
was a division among them. They say unto the blind 
man again, What say est thou of him, that he hath 
opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that 
he had been blind, and received his sight until they 
called the parents of him that had received his sight : and 
they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say 
was born blind? how then doth he now see? His 
parents answered them and said, We know that this 
is our son, and that he was born blind: but by what 
means he now seeth, we know not ; or who hath opened 

*Note 10 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 61 



his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall 
speak for himself. 

These words spake his parents, because they feared 
the Jews : for the Jews had agreed already, that if any 
man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put 
out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He 
is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man 
that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the 
praise : we know that this man is a sinner. He answered 
and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: 
one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 
Then they said to him again, What did he to thee? 
how opened he thine eyes ? He answered them, I have 
told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore 
would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? 

Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his 
disciple: but we are Moses' disciples. We know that 
God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know 
not from whence he is. The man answered and said 
unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye 
know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened 
mine eyes. If this man were not of God, he could 
do nothing. And they answered and said unto him, 
Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach 
us? And they cast him out. But Jesus heard that 
they had cast him out : and when he had found him, he 
said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might 
believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast 
heard and seen him; it is he that talketh with thee. 



62 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 

There cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, 
Jairus by name: and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his 
feet, and besought him greatly, saying, My little 
daughter lieth at the point of death. I pray thee, 
come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed ; 
and she shall live : and Jesus went with him : and much 
people followed him, and thronged him. 

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood 
twelve years, and had suffered many things of many 
physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was 
nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she 
had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and 
touched his garment: for she said, If I may touch 
but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway 
the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt 
in her body that she was healed of that plague: and 
Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that strength 
had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, 
and said, Who touched my clothes ? And his disciples 
said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging 
thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he 
looked round about to see her that had done this 
thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing 
what was done in her, came and fell down before him, 
and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, 
Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole: go in 
peace, and be whole of thy plague. 

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of 
the synagogue's house messengers which said, Thy 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 63 



daughter is dead: Why troublest thou the Master 
any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that 
was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, 
Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man 
to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the 
brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the 
ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and 
them that wept and wailed greatly: and when he was 
come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, 
and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 

And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had 
put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother 
of the damsel, and them that were with him, and 
entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took 
the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Damsel, 
I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel 
arose, and walked: for she was of the age of twelve 
years. And they were astonished with a great astonish- 
ment. And he charged them straitly that no man 
should know it: and commanded that something 
should be given her to eat. 

And one of the Pharisees desired him that he 
would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's 
house, and sat down to meat. And behold, a woman 
in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that 
Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an 
alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind 
him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, 
and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and 
kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 



6 4 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, 
he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were 
a prophet, would have known who and what manner 
of woman this is that touched him : for she is a sinner. 
And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have 
somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, 
say on. 

And Jesus said, There was a certain creditor which 
had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, 
and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to 
pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, 
which of them will love him most? And Simon 
answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he 
forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast 
rightly judged: and he turned to the woman, and said 
unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into 
thine house: thou gavest me no water for my feet: 
but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped 
them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no 
kiss : but this woman since the time I came in hath not 
ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst 
not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet 
with ointment. Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins, 
which are many, are forgiven : for she hath loved much. 
And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven : thy faith 
hath saved thee: go in peace: 

And as Jesus sat with his disciples great multitudes 
came unto him, having with them those that were 
lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and 
cast them down at his feet; and he healed them; 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 



65 



insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they 
saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the 
lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified 
the God of Israel. And Jesus said unto his disciples, 
I have compassion on the multitude, because they 
continue with me now three days, and have nothing 
to eat : and I will not send them away fasting, lest they 
faint in the way. Philip answered him, saying, Two 
hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, 
that everyone of them may take a little. 

Then one of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's 
brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which 
hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes : but what 
are they among so many ? And Jesus commanded the 
multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the 
loaves and the fishes and when he had given thanks, 
he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to 
them that were set down: and, when they were filled, 
he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments 
that remain, that nothing be lost: therefore they 
gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with 
the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained 
over and above unto them that had eaten. And they 
that did eat were four thousand men, beside women 
and children. 

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to 
get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, 
while he sent the multitude away. Then the men, 
when they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, said, 
This is of a truth that prophet that should come into 
5 



66 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they 
would come and take him by force, to make him a king, 
he departed again into a mountain himself alone. 
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed 
with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the 
fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, 
walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him 
walking on the sea, they were troubled, crying, It 
is a spirit ; and they cried out for fear. But straightway 
Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; 
it is I: be not afraid. 

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be 
thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he 
said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of 
the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But 
when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid: and 
beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and 
caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, 
wherefore didst thou doubt? And he rebuked the 
wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the 
wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And they 
feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What 
manner of man is this, that even the wind and the 
sea obey him? Then they that were in the ship came 
and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the 
Son of God. And when they were gone over, they 
came into the land of Gennesaret. 

And on the following day, when the people on the 
side of the sea from whence Jesus and the disciples 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 67 



had come therefore saw that Jesus was not there, 
neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came 
to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they 
had found him on the other side of the sea, they said 
unto him, Rabbi, when earnest thou hither? Jesus 
answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but be- 
cause ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Now 
this I say unto you, Labour not for the meat which 
perisheth, but for that meat which endure th unto ever- 
lasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you. 

There was a man of the Pharisees, named 
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to 
Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know 
that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man 
can do these miracles that thou doest, except God 
be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born 
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus 
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is 
old? can he enter the second time into his mother's 
womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, 
I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and 
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which 
is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born 
again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou 
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it 
cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every onethat is 



68 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said 
unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered 
and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and 
knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we 
have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have 
told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall 
ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 

And he began to teach, that the Son of man must 
suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and 
of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and 
after three days rise again. And he spake that saying 
openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke 
him. But when he had turned about and looked on 
his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee 
behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things 
that be of God; but the things that be of men. 

And when he had called the people unto him with 
his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will 
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his 
cross, and follow me: for whosoever will save his 
life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for 
my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.* 
Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and of 
my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of 
him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he 
cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 

Let these sayings sink down into your ears : for the 
Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 
Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto 

*Note ii 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 



69 



him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not 
find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. 

Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born 
of women there hath not risen a greater than John the 
Baptist. From the days of John the Baptist until now 
the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the 
violent take it by force: for all the prophets and the 
law prophesied until John. John came neither eating 
nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The 
Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, 
Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend 
of publicans and sinners. Foxes have holes, and birds 
of the air have nests: but the Son of man hath not 
where to lay his head. But wisdom is justified of her 
children. Think not that I am come to destroy the 
law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but 
to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and 
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass 
from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh 
unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside 
begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he 
asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus 
of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, 
thou son of David, have mercy on me. And they 
which went before rebuked him, that he should hold 
his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son 
of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and 
commanded him to be brought unto him: and when 
he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt 



7o A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, 
that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto 
him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 
And immediately he received his sight, and followed 
him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they 
saw it, gave praise unto God. 

Lazarus, a friend of Jesus died, and many of the 
Jews came to Martha and Mary, his sisters, to comfort 
them concerning the death of their brother. And 
as Jesus journeyed on his way, Martha, as soon as she 
heard that Jesus was near, went and met him; but 
Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto 
Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had 
not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever 
thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Then 
when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had lain in 
the grave four days already, and Jesus saith unto her, 
Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, 
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at 
the last day. 

Jesus said unto her, / am the resurrection, and the 
life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall 
he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall 
never die* Believest thou this? She saith unto him, 
Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son 
of God, which should come into the world. And when 
she had so said, she went and called Mary her sister 
secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for 
thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, 
and came unto him. 

*Note 12 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 71 



Then the Jews which were in the house, when they 
saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, 
followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to 
weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus 
was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, weeping 
and saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, 
my brother had not died. And some of them said, 
Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the 
blind, have caused that Lazarus should not have died ? 
When Jesus therefore saw Mary weeping, and the 
Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned 
in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have 
ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and 
see. Jesus wept. Then saith the Jews, Behold how 
he loved him! 

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh 
to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Then they took 
away the stone from the place where the dead was 
laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I 
thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that 
thou hearest me always: but because of the people 
which stand by, I say it, that they may believe that 
thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he 
cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And 
he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with 
graveclothes : and his face was bound about with a 
napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let 
him go. 

Then many of the Jews which came with Mary, 



72 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



and saw the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, 
and told them what things Jesus had done. Then 
gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, 
and said, What do we? for this man doeth many 
miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe 
on him: and the Romans shall come and take away 
both our place and nation. 

And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high 
priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know 
nothing at all; nor consider that it is expedient for us, 
that one man should die for the people, and that the 
whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of 
himself : but being high priest that year, he prophesied 
that Jesus should die for that nation ; and not for that 
nation only, but that also he should gather together 
in one, the children of God that were scattered abroad. 
Then from that day forth they took counsel together 
for to put him to death. 

When the Jews' passover was nigh at hand, many 
went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the 
passover, to purify themselves. And six days before 
the passover, came Jesus to Bethany, where Lazarus 
was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the 
dead. There they made him a supper, and Martha 
served; and Lazarus was one of them that sat at the 
table with him. But Martha was cumbered about 
much serving, and came to Jesus and said, Lord, dost 
thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve 
alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And he 



JESUS, THE TRUE PHYSICIAN 



73 



answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou 
art careful and troubled about many things: but 
one thing is needful ; and Mary hath chosen that good 
part, which shall not be taken away from her. 

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, 
very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped 
his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with 
the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his 
disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should 
betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three 
hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, 
not that he cared for the poor: but because he was a 
thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 
Then said Jesus, Let her alone : against the day of my 
burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye 
have with you; but me ye have not always. 

Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he 
was there : and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but 
that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised 
from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that 
they might put not only Jesus, but Lazarus also, to 
death ; because that by reason of him many of the Jews 
went away, and believed on Jesus, that he was the 
Christ and that he was sent from God. 

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 
(Slightly Abridged) 

Blessed are the poor in spirit : for their 's is the king- 
dom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn : for they 
shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they 



74 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do 
hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall 
be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall 
obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart : for they 
shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called 
the children of God. Blessed are they which are per- 
secuted for righteousness' sake : for their' s is the king- 
dom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile 
you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of 
evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be 
exceeding glad : for great is your reward in heaven : for 
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have 
lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is 
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and 
to be trodden under foot of men. 

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set 
on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, 
and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it 
giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may 
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is 
in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the 
law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but 
to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and 
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from 
the law, till all be fulfilled. 

Whosoever shall break one of these least command- 
ments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 



75 



least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall 
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in 
the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that 
except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness 
of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter 
into the kingdom of heaven. 

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, 
Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be 
in danger of the judgment : but I say unto you, that 
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause 
shall be in danger of the judgment : and if thou bring 
thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy 
brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift 
before the altar, and go thy way : first be reconciled to 
thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art 
in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary 
deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee 
to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily 
I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out 
thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye 
have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou 
shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that 
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath 
committed adultery with her already in his heart. 

Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of 
old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt 
perform unto the Lord thine oaths : but I say unto you, 
Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's 
throne : nor by the earth ; for it is his footstool : neither 



7 6 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou 
canst not make one hair white or black: but let your 
communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever 
is more than these cometh of evil. 

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt 
love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy : but I say 
unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, 
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them 
which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that 
ye may be the children of your Father which is in 
heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and 
on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the 
unjust : for if ye love them which love you, what reward 
have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And 
if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than 
others ? do not even the publicans so ? Be ye therefore 
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is 
perfect. 

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, 
to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of 
your Father which is in heaven: therefore when thou 
doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, 
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the 
streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I 
say unto you, They have their reward. But when 
thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy 
right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: 
and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall 
reward thee openly.* 

* Note 13 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 



77 



And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the 
hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the 
synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they 
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have 
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into 
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to 
thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which 
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. And when ye 
pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for 
they think that they shall be heard for their much 
speaking. Be not ye like unto them: for your Father 
knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father 
which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy 
kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in 
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And 
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And 
lead us not into temptation : but deliver us from evil : 
for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory 
forever. Amen. 

If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly 
Father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men 
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your 
trespasses, i 

When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad 
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they 
may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, 
They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, 
anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear 
not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is 



78 A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall 
reward thee openly. 

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, 
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves 
break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves 
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth 
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor 
steal : for where your treasure is, there will your heart 
be also. 

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine 
eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light : but 
if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of 
darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be 
darkness, how great is that darkness! 

No man can serve two masters: for either he will 
hate the one, and love the other: or else he will hold 
to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve 
God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take 
no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what 
ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall 
put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body 
than raiment? 

Behold the fowls of the air : for they sow not, neither 
do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly 
Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than 
they? 

Which of you by taking thought can add one 
cubit unto his stature ? And why take ye* thought for 
raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they 
grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say 



THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 



79 



unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not 
arrayed like one of these. 

If God so clothe the grass of the field, which today 
is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not 
much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore 
take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What 
shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all 
these things : so seek ye first the kingdom of God, and 
his righteousness; and all these things shall be added 
unto you.* 

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what 
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with 
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you 
again. 

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy 
brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in 
thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 
Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye ; and, behold, 
a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first 
cast out the beam out of thine own eye ; and then shalt 
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's 
eye. 

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither 
cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample 
them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall 
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for 
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh 
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

* Note 14 



8o 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



What man is there of you, whom if his son ask 
bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, 
will he give him a serpent? 

If ye then, know how to give good gifts unto your 
children, how much more shall your Father which is in 
heaven give good things to them that ask him ? There- 
fore all things whatsoever ye would that men should 
do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law 
and the prophets.* 

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in 
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening 
wolves. 

Enter ye in at the strait gate : for wide is the gate, 
and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and 
many there be which go in thereat: because strait is 
the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto 
life, and few there be that find it. 

ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM 

And it came to pass, as Jesus went to Jerusalem, 
shortly before the feast of the passover, as he entered 
into a certain village, there met him ten men that were 
lepers, which stood afar off, and they lifted up their 
voices and cried, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 
And when he saw them he said unto them, Go show 
yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, 
as they went, they were cleansed; and one of them, 
when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and 
with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his 
face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a 

*Note 15 



ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM 



81 



Samaritan. And Jesus, answering said, Were there 
not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are 
none found that returned to give glory to God, save 
this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy 
way: thy faith hath made thee whole. 

And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way- 
side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, 
saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. 
And the multitude rebuked them, because they should 
hold their peace : but they cried the more, saying, Have 
mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus 
stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that 
I shall do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that 
our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion 
on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately 
their eyes received sight, and they followed him. 

And as they came nearer unto Jerusalem Jesus 
went before the twelve, and began to tell them what 
things should happen unto him, saying, Behold, we go 
up to Jerusalem ; and the Son of man shall be delivered 
unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they 
shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to 
the Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall spit 
upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he 
-shall rise again. 

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came 
unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest 
do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto 
them, What would ye that I should do for you? They 
said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on 
6 



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thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy 
glory. 

But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye 
ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be 
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 
And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto 
them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink 
of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal 
shall ye be baptized: but to sit on my right hand and 
on my left hand is not mine to give : but it shall be given 
to them for whom it is prepared. 

And when the ten heard it, they began to be much 
displeased with James and John. But Jesus called 
them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of 
the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they 
that are great exercise authority upon them. But it 
shall not be so among you : but whosoever will be great 
among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever 
will be chief among you, let him be your servant : even 
as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but 
to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 

And the disciples said unto Jesus, Who is the 
greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called 
a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 
and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, 
and become as little children, ye shall not enter into 
the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall 
humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest 
in the kingdom of heaven ; and whoso shall receive one 
such little child in my name, receiveth me. 



ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM 83 



But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which 
believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone 
were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned 
in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because 
of offences! for it must needs be that offences come: 
but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 
And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascend- 
ing up to Jerusalem. 

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto 
Bethphage and Bethany at the mount of Olives, he 
sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, 
Go your way into the village over against you, and as 
soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, 
whereon never man sat : loose him, and bring him, and 
if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that 
the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will 
send him hither. 

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus com- 
manded, and found the colt tied by the door without 
in a place where two ways met: and they loosed him. 
And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof 
said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they 
said, The Lord hath need of him: and they brought 
him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the 
colt, and they set Jesus thereon: and as they went, 
many spread their garments in the way, and others 
cut down branches off the trees and strewed them in 
the way. 

And as they neared Jerusalem, the multitude of 
the disciples, and the multitudes that went before, 



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and that followed after, began to rejoice and praise 
God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that 
they had seen ; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh 
in the name of the Lord : peace in heaven, and glory in 
the highest. Fear not, daughter of Zion : behold, thy 
King cometh sitting on an ass's colt. 

These things understood not his disciples at the 
first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered 
they that these things were written of him, and that 
they had done these things unto him. And when he 
was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, 
saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is 
Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the 
temple : and when he had looked round about upon all 
things, and now the eventide was come, he went out 
unto Bethany with the twelve. And he was hungry, 
and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if 
haply he might find anything thereon; and when he 
came to it, he found nothing but leaves: for the time 
of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto 
it, No man shall eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. 
And his disciples heard it. 

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw 
the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling 
to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the 
fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And 
Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God: 
for verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say 
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou 



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85 



cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but 
shall believe that those things which he saith shall 
come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith: 

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye 
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and 
ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, 
forgive, if ye have ought against any ; that your Father 
also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which 
is in heaven forgive your trespasses.* 

And that morning, when they again came into 
Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple and found 
those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the 
changers of money sitting: and when he had made a 
scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the 
temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out 
the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and 
would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel 
through the temple: but taught them, saying, Is it 
not written, My house shall be called of all nations 
the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of 
thieves. And he said unto them that sold doves, Take 
these things hence: make not my Father's house an 
house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered 
that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten 
me up. 

And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned 
with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things 
which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there 
shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not 

* Note 16 



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be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, 
but when shall these things be? and what sign will 
there be when these things shall come to pass? Jesus 
answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, 
(and in so saying, he referred to himself) and in three 
days I will raise it up. 

Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this 
temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three 
days? But, as ye know, he spake of the temple of his 
body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his 
disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; 
and they believed the scripture, and the word which 
Jesus had said. 

Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto 
him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou 
be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I 
told you, and ye believed not : the works that I do in 
my Father's name, they bear witness of me: but ye 
believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said 
unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, 
and they follow me : and I give unto them eternal life ; 
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man 
pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave 
them me, is greater than all ; and no man is able to 
pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father 
are one. 

Then the Jews took up stones to stone him.* But 
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed 
you from my Father: for which of those works do ye 
stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a 

*Note 17 



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87 



good work we stone thee not : but for blasphemy ; and 
because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, 
I said, Ye are gods ? If he called them gods, unto whom 
the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be 
broken; say ye of me, whom the Father hath sanctified, 
and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because 
I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of 
my Father, believe me not : but if I do, though ye believe 
not me, believe the works; that ye may know, and 
believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. There- 
fore they sought again to take him, but he escaped 
out of their hand. 

And he taught daily in the temple. And in the 
evenings he went out of the city and abode in the 
mount that is called the Mount of Olives. ' And the chief 
priests and the scribes and the chief of the people 
sought to destroy him, but could not find what they 
might do : for all the people were very attentive to hear 
him and were astonished at his doctrine. 

And the blind and the lame came to him in the 
temple and he healed them. And the people that were 
with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and 
raised him from the dead, bare record. The Pharisees 
therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye 
prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. 

And the chief priests and the elders of the people 
came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what 
authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee 
this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto 



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them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, 
I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these 
things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from 
heaven, or of men? 

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we 
shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did 
ye not then believe him ? But if we shall say, Of men ; 
we fear the people: for all hold John as a prophet. 
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. 
And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what 
authority I do these things.* 

And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that 
thou say est and teachest rightly, neither accept est 
thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God 
truly : Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or 
no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto 
them, Why tempt ye me ? Show me a penny. Whose 
image and superscription hath it ? They answered and 
said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render there- 
fore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto 
God the things which be God's. And they could not 
take hold of his words before the people: and they 
marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. 

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and saw 
the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And 
there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two 
mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him 
his disciples, and saith unto them. Verily I say unto 
you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than 
all they which have cast into the treasury ; for all these 

*Note 18 



ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM 89 



have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of 
God : but she of her penury hath cast in all the living 
that she had. 

And the common people came early in the morning 
to hear him in the temple and they heard him gladly 
and said, John did no miracle : but all things that John 
spake of this man were true. And many believed on 
him there. And he said unto them openly in his 
doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in 
long clothing, and love salutations in the market- 
places, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the 
uppermost rooms at feasts; which devour widows' 
houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. 

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which 
is called the Passover ; and the chief priests and scribes 
sought how they might kill Jesus: but they feared the 
people. Then Judas, surnamed Iscariot, being of the 
twelve, went his way, and communed with the chief 
priests and captains, how he might betray him unto 
them : and they were glad, and covenanted to give him 
money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to 
betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude. 

And there were certain Greeks among them that 
came up to worship at the feast; the same came there- 
fore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and 
desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip 
cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and 
Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, 
The hour is come, that the Son of man should be 
glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



com of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth 
alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 

If any man would serve me, let him follow me, and 
if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now 
is my soul troubled: and what shall I say? Father 
save me from this hour; yet for thy cause came I unto 
this hour. Father glorify thy name. Then came there 
a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, 
and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that 
stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others 
said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, 
This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 
Now is the judgment of this world : now shall the prince 
of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from 
-the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, 
signifying what death he should die.* 

And when Jesus had received the Grecians, they 
said unto him, We have heard out of the law that 
Christ abideth forever : and how say est thou, The Son 
of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? 
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light 
with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness 
come upon you : for he that walketh in darkness know- 
eth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe 
in the light, that ye may be the children of light. 
Heaven and earth shall pass away : but my words shall 
not pass away. These things spake Jesus, and 
departed from them. 

And as Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives over 
against the temple, Peter and James and John and 

Nole ig 



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91 



Andrew came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, what 
shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the 
world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, 
Take heed that no man deceive you. But take heed 
to yourselves : for they shall deliver you up to councils ; 
and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten : and ye shall 
be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a 
testimony against them. And the gospel must first 
be published among all nations. Now the brother 
shall betray the brother to death, and the father the 
son; and children shall rise up against their parents, 
and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye 
shall be hated of all men for my name's sake : but he 
that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall 
wax cold. False prophets shall arise and shall deceive 
many ; and false Christs shall rise and shall show signs 
and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the 
elect: but take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you 
all things. And as in the days that were before the 
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and 
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered 
into the ark: and knew not until the flood came, and 
took them all away : so shall also the coming of the Son 
of man be. But of that day and hour knoweth no 
man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 
Watch therefore : for ye know not what hour your Lord 
doth come. 

And the disciples were troubled : and though Jesus 
had done so many miracles before the chief priests and 



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the elders and the people, yet many believed not on 
him; that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be 
fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our 
report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been 
revealed ? 

Nevertheless, among the chief rulers many did 
believe on him: but because of the Pharisees they did 
not confess him, lest they should be put out of the 
synagogue : for they loved the praise of men more than 
the praise of God.* 

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 

After Jesus had for several days been teaching in 
the temple, and when his work there was nearly 
finished, the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, and 
he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us 
the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto 
him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he 
said unto them, A man shall meet you, bearing a 
pitcher of water: follow him into the house where he 
entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of 
the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the 
guest chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my 
disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room 
furnished: there make ready. 

And they went, and found as he had said; and they 
made ready the passover: and when the hour was 
come, he sat down, and the twelve disciples with him. 
Now the names of the twelve are as follows: Simon, 
who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James 

* Note 20 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 



the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and 
Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the publican; 
James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose 
surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and 
Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.* 

And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, 
and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat; 
this is my body which is given for you: this do in 
remembrance of me. And he took the cup, and when 
he had given thanks, he gave it to them : and they all 
drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood 
of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily 
I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the 
vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom 
of God. 

And supper being ended, Jesus knowing that the 
Father had given all things into his hands, and that he 
was come from God, and went to God; he riseth from 
supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, 
and girded himself. After that he poureth water into 
a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and 
to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 
Then cometh he to Simon Peter; and Peter saith unto 
him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered 
and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now: 
but thou shalt know hereafter. 

Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my 
feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou 
hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, 
Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my 

*Note 21 



94 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth 
not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit : and 
ye are clean, but not all : for he knew who should betray 
him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 

After that he had washed their feet, and had taken 
his garments, and was set down again, he said unto 
them, Know ye what I have done to you ? Ye call me 
Master and Lord; and ye say well: for so I am. If I 
then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet ; ye 
also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have 
given you an example, that ye should do as I have done 
to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant 
is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent 
greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, 
happy are ye if ye do them. 

In my Father's house are many mansions.* If it 
were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a 
place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, 
I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that 
where I am, there ye may be also ; and whither I go ye 
know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, 
Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can 
we know the way ? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, 
the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, 
but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known 
my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, 
and have seen him. 

Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, 
and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been 
so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known 

* Note 22 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 95 



me, Philip ? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father ; 
and how say est thou, then, Show us the Father? 
Belie vest thou not that I am in the Father, and the 
Father in me ? the words that I speak unto you I speak 
not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he 
doeth the works. 

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father 
in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that belie veth on me, 
the works that I do shall he do also ; and greater works 
than these shall he do: because I go unto my Father. 
Then shall ye all know that I am in my Father and ye 
in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, 
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me : and he that 
loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love 
him, and will manifest myself to him. Ye believe in 
God, believe also in me. 

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, 
which the Father hath put in his own power. But 
ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in 
Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto 
the uttermost part of the earth. 

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that 
ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall 
leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the 
Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto 
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye 
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have 
overcome the world. Verily, verily, I say unto you, 



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He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; 
and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 

I am the true vine and my Father is the husband- 
man. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he 
taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he 
purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide 
in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit 
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, 
except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the 
branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the 
same bringeth forth much fruit; but without me ye 
can do nothing. 

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a 
branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and 
cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye 
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask 
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. I say 
unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye 
shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : for 
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh 
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much 
fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath 
loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my 
love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide 
in my love, even as I have kept my Father's com- 
mandments, and abide in his love. 

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy 
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 
This is my commandment. That ye love one another, 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 97 



as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than 
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye 
are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 
Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant 
knoweth not what his lord doeth, but I call you friends : 
for all things that I have heard of my Father I have 
made known unto you.* 

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and 
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, 
and that your fruit should remain ; that whatsoever ye 
shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 
These things I command you, that ye love one another. 
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before 
it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world 
would love its own : but because ye are not of the world, 
and I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the 
world hateth you. 

If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute 
you; and if they have kept my sayings, they will also 
keep yours. But they shall put you out of the syn- 
agogues; yea the time cometh, that whosoever killeth 
you will think that he doeth God service. And these 
things will they do unto you because they have not 
known me nor him that sent me. But these things 
have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may 
remember that I told you of them. 

Men do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the 
power of God; and the blind lead the blind and 
thus both fall into the ditch. But he that hateth me, 
hateth my Father also. Yet, if I had not come and 

* Note 23 



9 8 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



spoken unto them, they had not had sin : but now, that 
the light is shown unto them, they have no cloak for 
their sin. If I had not done among them the works 
which none other man did, they had not had sin: but 
now they have both seen and hated me and my Father. 
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be 
fulfilled that is written in their law.* They hated me 
without a cause. 

Go ye to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and 
as ye go, preach saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is 
at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the 
dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely 
give. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, 
enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go 
thence : and when ye come into an house, salute it ; and 
if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it : 
but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 

The life is more than meat, and the body is moie 
than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither 
sow nor reap ; which neither have storehouse nor barn ; 
and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better 
than the fowls? Consider the lilies how they grow: 
they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, 
that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one 
of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to- 
day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; 
how much more will he clothe you? 

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye 
shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind : for all these 
things do the nations of the world seek after ; and your 

* Note 24 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 



Father knoweth that ye have need of these things : but 
rather seek ye the kingdom of God ; and all these things 
shall be added unto you. 

Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you ; 
bless them that curse you, and pray for them which 
despitefully use you ; and as ye would that men should 
do to you, do ye also to them likewise, for if ye love 
them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners 
also love those that love them: and if ye do good to 
them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for 
sinners also do even the same. 

Be merciful, as your Father also is merciful: judge 
not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye 
shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be 
forgiven: give and it shall be given unto you; good 
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and 
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For 
with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be 
measured to you again. 

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against 
thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him 
alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy 
brother: but if he will not hear thee, take with 
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or 
three witnesses every word may be established, and 
if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : 
but if he neglect to hear the church, then let him be 
unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 

Verily, verily I say unto you the Son can do nothing 
of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for as 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to 
the Son to have life in himself and hath given him 
authority to execute judgment also, because he is the 
Son of man. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that 
heareth my word, and belie veth on him that sent me, 
hath everlasting life. Marvel not at this: for the 
hour cometh, and now is, when all that are in the 
graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth. 

He that heareth you heareth me ; and he that despis- 
eth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me 
despiseth him that sent me. The harvest truly is 
great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the 
Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers 
into his harvest. And he that is greatest among you 
shall be your servant, and whosoever shall exalt himself 
shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himself shall 
be exalted. Only by continuing in my words can ye 
be my disciples. 

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of 
wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless 
as doves : but beware of men : for they will deliver you 
up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their 
synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors 
and kings for my sake. But now I go my way to him 
that sent me; and because I have said these things, 
sorrow hath filled your hearts: nevertheless I tell 
you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go 
away : for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come 
unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 
A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 101 



little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the 
Father. 

Then said some of his disciples among themselves, 
What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and 
ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye 
shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They 
said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little 
while? we cannot tell what he saith. 

Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask 
him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among your- 
selves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see 
me; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and 
lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be 
sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because 
her hour is come : but as soon as she is delivered of the 
child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy 
that a man is born into the world. 

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see 
you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy 
no man taketh from you : and verily, verily, I say unto 
you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, 
he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing 
in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy 
may be full. 

Heretofore have I spoken unto you in proverbs: 
but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto 
you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the 
Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you : 
for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have 
loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 
I came forth from the Father, and am come into the 
world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good 
pleasure to give you the kingdom. Let your loins 
be girded about, and ye yourselves like unto men that 
wait for their lord, when he will return from the 
wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they 
may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those 
servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find 
watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird 
himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will 
come forth and serve them. Be ye therefore ready 
also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye 
think not. 

Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, 
and kinsfolks, and friends ; and some of you shall they 
cause to be put to death: and ye shall be hated of all 
men for my name's sake. And when they bring you 
into the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, 
take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, 
or what ye shall say, for the Holy Ghost shall teach 
you in the same hour what ye ought to say. Settle it 
therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what 
ye shall answer : for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, 
which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay 
nor resist. But I say unto you, Friends, be not 
afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have 



INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DISCIPLES 



no more that they can do: but fear him which is able 
to destroy both soul and body together. What I tell 
you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye 
hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.* 

I tell you that many prophets and kings have 
desired to see those things which ye see and have not 
seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear 
and have not heard them. The days will come, when 
ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, 
and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, 
See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow 
them, for as the lightning that lighteneth out of the 
one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part 
under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his 
day. But first must he suffer many things and be 
rejected of this generation. 

And the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, the 
Father will send in my name: he shall teach you all 
things, and bring all things to your remembrance, 
whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with 
you, my peace I give unto you : but not as the world 
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be 
troubled; neither let it be afraid. 

I go away and come again unto you. Rejoice, 
because I go unto the Father : for my Father is greater 
than I. And now I have told you before it come to 
pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 

Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the 
prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me: 
but that the world may know that I love the Father; 

*Note 25 



io4 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. 
Arise, let us go hence. 

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out 
into the mount of Olives. 

BETRAYAL OF JESUS 

Now Jesus knew that the time was well nigh 
come when he should depart out of this world, unto 
the Father: and having loved his own which were in 
the world, he loved them unto the end. 

And Judas Iscariot, knowing how that Jesus might 
easily be betrayed and be taken by night, went to 
the chief priests to betray him unto them. And they 
were glad: and having promised to give him money, 
they planned together how that Jesus might be 
conveniently taken. 

After the feast of unleavened bread, after that 
Jesus had instructed the apostles in the work that 
they were to do, and had washed their feet, and while 
he was yet communing with them, Judas left the 
eleven and joined those to whom he had agreed to 
betray Jesus. 

Then it was, that as Jesus came out, he went as 
he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and as the 
disciples followed him, he said unto them, Pray that 
ye enter not into temptation : and by this shall all men 
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to 
another. 

Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended 
because of me this night : for it is written, I will smite 



BETRAYAL OF JESUS 



the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scat- 
tered abroad. Peter answered and said unto him, 
Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet 
will I never be offended. And the Lord said, Simon, 
Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have thee, 
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not : and 
when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 
And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, 
both into prison, and to death. I 

And Jesus said, I tell thee Peter, the cock shall not 
crow this day, before that thou shalt deny me. But 
Peter spoke the more vehemently, saying, If I should 
die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Like- 
wise also said they all. And Jesus saith unto him, 
Verily I say unto thee, Peter, that this day, even in 
this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt 
thrice deny that thou knowest me. 

Then said he unto all of them, When I sent you 
without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any- 
thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto 
them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, 
and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let 
him sell his garment, and buy one: for I say unto you, 
that this that is written must yet be accomplished in 
me: yet the things concerning me have an end. And 
they said, Lord, behold here are two swords. And 
he said unto them. It is enough. 

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth 
with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a 
garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples; 



io6 A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



and Judas knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted 
thither with his disciples. And when they had come 
into the garden, which is called Gethsemane, Jesus 
took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and 
began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he 
unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto 
death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he 
went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, 
saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup 
from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to 
heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come : glorify thy 
Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee, as thou hast 
given him power over all flesh, that he should give 
eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And 
this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only 
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished 
the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O 
Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the 
glory which I had with thee before the world was. I 
have manifested thy name unto the men which thou 
gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou 
gavest them me: and they have kept thy word. 

Now they have known that all things whatsoever 
thou hast given me are of thee: for I have given unto 
them the words which thou gavest me; and they have 
received them, and have known surely that I came out 
from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send 
me. I pray for them. 



BETRAYAL OF JESUS 



107 



And now I am no more in the world, but these are 
in the world, and I come to thee.* Holy Father, keep 
through thine own name those whom thou hast given 
me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was 
with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: 
those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of 
them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture 
might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these 
things I speak in the world, that they might have my 
joy fulfilled in themselves. 

I have given them thy word; and the world hath 
hated them, because they are not of the world, even as 
I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest 
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest 
keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, 
even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through 
thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me 
into the world, even so have I also sent them into the 
world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they 
also might be sanctified through the truth. 

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also 
which shall believe on me through their word, that 
they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and 
I in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world 
may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory 
which thou gavest me I have given them; that they 
may be one, even as we are one : I in them, and thou 
in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that 
the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast 
loved them, as thou hast loved me. 

* Note 26 



io8 A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given 
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my 
glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me 
before the foundation of the world. 0 righteous 
Father, the world hath not known thee but I have 
known thee, and these have known that thou hast 
sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, 
and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast 
loved me may be in them, and I in them. 

And there appeared an angel unto him from 
heaven, strengthening him, but being in an agony he 
prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were 
great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 
Then he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them 
asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch 
with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter 
not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but 
the flesh is weak. 

He went away again the second time, and prayed, 
saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away 
from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he 
came and found them asleep again : for their eyes were 
heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and 
prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then 
cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep 
on now, and take your rest : behold, the hour is at hand, 
and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of 
sinners. 

Judas then cometh thither and with him, bearing 
lanterns and torches, a great multitude with swords 



BETRAYAL OF JESUS 



109 



and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and 
the elders. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that 
should come upon him, saith to those who were with 
him, Rise up, let us go : he that betrayeth me is at hand. 
And he then went forth to those who were seeking him 
and said unto them, whom seek ye? They answered 
him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am 
he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with 
them. 

As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, 
they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then 
asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, 
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you 
that I am he : if therefore ye seek me, let these go their 
way : that the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, 
Of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none. 

And he that betrayed him had given them a token, 
saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he : take 
him and lead him away safely. And then Judas, one 
of the twelve, went before them and drew near unto 
Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, 
betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? Then 
came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him 
away. And when they which were with Jesus saw 
what would follow, they said unto him, Lord shall we 
smite with the sword? Then Simon Peter having 
a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, 
and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was 
Malchus. 

Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into 



I IO 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, 
shall I not drink it? And he touched the ear of 
Malchus and healed him. Then said Jesus unto 
Malchus, Put also thy sword into its place : for all they 
that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 

Then the band and the captain and officers of the 
Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away, to 
Annas first : for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which 
was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas 
was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was 
expedient that one man should die for the people. 

And as they led him away, Simon Peter followed 
Jesus : and so did another disciple having only a linen 
cloth cast about his body, and the young men laid 
hold on him, and he left the linen cloth, and fled 
from them naked. But Peter followed afar off, unto 
the chief priests palace, and went in and sat with the 
servants, to see the end. 

And when they had kindled a fire in the midst 
of the hall, the servants and officers stood there, who 
had made the fire of coals, for it was cold: and they 
warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and 
warmed himself also. 

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, 
and of his doctrine. And Jesus saith unto the high 
priest and to those who were with him, When I was 
daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no 
hands against me. I spake openly to the world; I 
ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, 
whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I 



BETRAYAL OF JESUS 



in 



said nothing. But this is your hour and the power 
of darkness; and ye come out as against a thief, with 
swords and with staves to take me. Why askest thou 
me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said 
unto them: behold, they know what I said. 

And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers 
which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, 
saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? And as 
Simon Peter stood by and warmed himself, they said 
unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? But 
he denied it, and said, I am not. 

Then came unto Peter a certain maid, a damsel 
that kept the door: and as Peter sat by the fire, she 
earnestly looked upon him and said, Thou wast with 
Jesus of Nazareth, and even came thou with him up 
to Jerusalem from Galilee. Then Peter denied again, 
saying, I know not what thou say est : and immediately, 
outside, the cock crew. 

Then Peter went outside and sat on the porch of 
the palace, and the damsel came unto him again, saying, 
Thou wast with Jesus, for thou art a Galilean, and thy 
speech betrayeth thee. Then came unto Peter also 
them that stood by and said unto him, Surely thou 
art one of them: but he began to curse and to swear, 
saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak, neither 
understand I what ye say. And immediately, while 
Peter yet spake, the cock crew: and he called to mind 
the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock 
crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me: and when he 
thought thereon, he wept. 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people 
and the chief priests and the scribes came together 
and led him into their council. And Caiaphas the 
high priest arose and said, I adjure thee by the living 
God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ. 
Art thou the Christ, tell us. And he said, If I tell 
you, ye will not believe. 

And the chief priests and the council sought for 
witness against Jesus, to put him to death, but found 
none : for many bare false witness against him, but their 
witness agreed not together. Then there arose two 
who said, We heard him say, I will destroy the temple 
of God and build it again in three days. But Jesus 
held his peace and answered nothing. 

Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? 
And Jesus said, I am : and ye shall see the Son of man 
sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the 
clouds of heaven. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit 
on the right hand of the power of God. Then the high 
priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blas- 
phemy: what need we any further witnesses? Behold, 
now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? 
They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 

And they did spit in his face and they buffeted him 
and blindfolded him and mocked him and smote him 
with the palms of their hands, and said, Prophesy unto 
us, thou Christ, who it is that smote thee. And the 
whole multitude of them arose and led him, bound, 
unto Pilate. 



CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED 



113 



CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED 

And when they had brought Jesus from the palace 
of Caiaphas the high priest unto Pilate and had set him 
in the judgment hall they began to accuse him, saying, 
We found this fellow perverting the nation and for- 
bidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he 
himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, Art 
thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said 
unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused 
him of many things but he answered nothing. And 
Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou 
nothing? But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that 
Pilate marvelled. 

Pilate then said unto the priests, What accusation 
bring ye against this man? They answered and said 
unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not 
have delivered him up unto thee. And they were the 
more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching 
throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this 
place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether 
the man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that 
he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to 
Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 

So Jesus was brought before Herod who had 
beheaded John the Baptist, and who was also the 
successor of him, who, more than thirty years before 
had ordered that the children of Bethlehem of two 
years old and younger should be put to death. And 
when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he 
8 



H4 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



was desirous to see him for a long season, because he 
had heard many things of him: and he hoped to have 
seen some miracle done by him. And the chief priests 
and scribes stood and vehemently accused him, saying, 
If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: 
whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against 
Caesar. 

And Herod questioned Jesus in many words: but 
Jesus answered him never a word ; insomuch that Herod 
marvelled greatly. And Herod with his men of war 
set Jesus at nought, and mocked him and arrayed him 
in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And 
the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends 
together: for before they were at enmity between 
themselves. 

And when Jesus was again brought before Pilate 
his wife sent unto him saying, Have thou nothing to do 
with that just man : for I have this day suffered many 
things in a dream because of him. And from thence- 
forth Pilate sought to release Jesus. Then Pilate, 
when he had entered into the judgment hall, again 
called Jesus and said unto him, Art thou the King of 
the Jews ? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing 
of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? 

Then said Pilate unto him, Knowest thou not that 
I have power to crucify thee and have power to release 
thee? Thine own nation and the chief priests have 
delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus 
answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my 
kingdom were of this world, then would my servants 



t 



I 

CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED 



fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but 
now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore 
said unto him, Art thou then a king? Jesus answered, 
I am a king.* To this end was I born, and for this cause 
came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto 
the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth 
my voice. 

Pilate, hoping to free Jesus, said unto them, Behold 
your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away 
with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall 
I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We 
have no king but Caesar. Then said Pilate unto them, 
I find no fault in this man. Take ye him and judge 
him according to your law. And the Jews thereupon 
said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man 
to death. 

Now at the feast each year the governor was wont 
to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 
And among the prisoners there was one named 
Barabbas, which lay bound because he had made 
insurrection and had committed murder in the insur- 
rection. Therefore, when they were gathered together, 
Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto 
you, Barabbas or Jesus, which is called Christ? And 
he knew that for envy they had delivered him. But 
the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude 
that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 
Then said they all, Not this man, but Barabbas. 

And Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then 
with Jesus? They all cried unto him, Let him be 

* Note 27 



n6 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



crucified. And he said unto the chief priests and the 
rulers and the people, Ye have brought this man unto 
me, as one that perverteth the people: and behold I 
having examined him before you, have found no fault 
in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse 
him. No, nor yet Herod : for I sent you to him ; and, lo, 
nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will 
therefore chastise him, and release him. But they 
cried out the more saying, Let him be crucified. 

But Pilate, wishing to release Jesus spake again to 
them saying, What evil hath he done? But they cried 
out the more exceedingly, Crucify him, Crucify him. 
And they were insistent with loud voices, requiring 
that he be crucified. And the voices of them and of 
the chief priests prevailed: and when Pilate saw that 
he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was 
made, he took water, and washed his hands before the 
multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this 
just person. And so Pilate, wishing to release Jesus, 
yet willing to content the people, gave sentence that it 
should be as they required ; and released Barabbas unto 
them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered 
him to be crucified. 

Then the soldiers took Jesus into the common 
hall and they stripped him and put on him again the 
gorgeous robe which had been given him by Herod. 
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they 
put it upon his head. And they put a reed in his hand, 
and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, 
saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon 



CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED 



117 



him, and took the reed and smote him on the head, 
and with one accord, bowing their knees, made obei- 
sance to him. And when they had thus mocked him, 
they took off from him the purple robe, and put his 
own clothes on him and led him out to crucify him. 

And he, bearing his cross, went forth toward the 
place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha. 
And as they went they found a man of Cyrene, Simon 
by name, coming out of the country, and on him they 
laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And 
there followed him a great company of people, and of 
women, which also bewailed and lamented him. 
But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of 
Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, 
and for your children. And there were also two 
others, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 

And when they were come unto Golgotha, which is 
also called Calvary, they crucified him; and the 
malefactors, one on his right hand and the other on 
the left. And they gave him to drink wine mingled 
with myrrh, but he received it not. And Pilate wrote a 
title and put it on the cross; and the writing was, 
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE 
JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews, for the 
place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: 
and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek and Latin. 
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, write 
not, The King of the Jews, but that he said, I am King 
of the Jews : but Pilate answered, What I have written 
I have written. 



n8 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, 
took his garments and made four parts, to every 
soldier a part; they took also his robe, for which they 
cast lots. Now the robe was without seam, woven 
from the top throughout. They said therefore among 
themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, 
whose it shall be: and herein was the scripture ful- 
filled, which saith, They parted my raiment among 
them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These 
things the soldiers did. And sitting down, they 
watched him on the cross. Then said Jesus, Father, 
forgive them: for they know not what they do. 

And with him were crucified the two thieves; the 
one on his right hand, and the other on his left: and 
the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was 
numbered with the transgressors. And one of the 
malefactors railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, 
save thyself and us : but the other answering, rebuked 
him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art 
in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, 
for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this 
man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto 
Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy 
kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto 
thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. 

And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their 
heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and 
buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be 
the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise 
also the chief priests derided him, with the scribes and 



CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED 



ng 



elders, saying, He saved others; himself he cannot save: 
if he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from 
the cross and we will believe him: he trusted in God; 
let Him deliver him now if He will save him, for he 
said, I am the Son of God. And the soldiers also 
mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, 
and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save 
thyself. 

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother. 
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple 
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, 
Behold thy son ! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold 
thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took 
her unto his own home. There were also women 
looking on afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalene, 
and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, 
and Salome (who also, when he was in Galilee, fol- 
lowed him, and ministered unto him) ; and many other 
women which came up with him unto Jerusalem. 

Jesus was crucified at about the third hour; and 
when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over 
the whole land until the ninth hour: and about the 
ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, My 
God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? And 
some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, 
Behold he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a 
sponge full of vinegar and put it on a reed and gave it 
him to drink, saying, Let us see whether Elias will 
come to save him. And when Jesus had received the 
vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his 



120 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



head and said, Father, into thy hands I commend my 
spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 

And the Jews, desiring that the bodies should not 
remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, besought 
Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they 
might be taken away.* Then came the soldiers and 
brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was 
crucified with him: but when they came to Jesus and 
saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs. 
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, 
and forthwith came there out blood and water. 

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is 
true ; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might 
believe: for these things were done, that the scripture 
should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 
And again another scripture saith, They shall look 
on him whom they pierced. 

Now when the centurian and them that were with 
him saw that Jesus gave up the ghost, he said, Truly 
this was a righteous man. 

And all the people that came together to that sight, 
beholding the things which were done, smote their 
breasts, and returned. 

And all his acquaintance, and the women that 
followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding 
these things. 

THE RESURRECTION 

And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a 
counsellor; and he was a good and just man who had 

* Note 28 



THE RESURRECTION 



121 



not consented to the demands of the council concerning 
Jesus. He was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews and 
himself also waited for the kingdom of God. This 
man went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. 

And Pilate, calling unto him the centurion, he 
asked him whether Jesus had been dead any while. 
And when Pilate knew it of the centurian, he gave 
the body to Joseph. And when Joseph had taken the 
body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid 
it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the 
rock. 

And there came also Nicodemus (who at the first 
came to Jesus by night) and brought a mixture of 
myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in 
linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the 
Jews is to bury, and rolled a stone unto the door of 
the sepulchre. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the 
mother of Joses beheld where he was laid; and they 
returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and 
rested the Sabbath day according to the command- 
ment. 

The chief priests and pharisees came together 
unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that 
deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days 
I will rise again. Command therefore that the 
sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his 
disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say 
unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last 
error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto 



122 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure 
as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, 
sealing the stone, and setting a watch. 

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, repented 
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver 
to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in 
that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they 
said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he 
cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and 
departed, and went and hanged himself. And the 
chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not 
lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is 
the price of blood; and they took counsel, and bought 
with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in; 
wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, 
unto this day. 

And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, 
and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had 
bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint 
him. And very early in the morning the first day of 
the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising 
of the sun; and they said among themselves, Who shall 
roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 

And, behold, there was a great earthquake : for the 
angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came 
and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon 
it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment 
white as snow ; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, 
and became as dead men. And the angel answered 
and said unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that 



THE RESURRECTION 



123 



ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here, 
but is risen. 

And the angel said unto them, Remember ye how 
he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, 
The Son of man must be delivered into the hands 
of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise 
again: and they remembered his words. Then the 
angel said, go your way and tell his disciples and Peter 
that he goeth before you into Galilee : there shall ye see 
him, as he said unto you. And they departed quickly 
from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did 
run to bring his disciples word. 

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, 
and came to the sepulchre. And they ran both 
together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and 
came first to the sepulchre : and he stooping down, and 
looking in, saw the linen clothes lying : yet went he not 
in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went 
into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and 
the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the 
linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 
Then went in also that other disciple, which came first 
to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 

And when they had entered into the sepulchre and 
had seen the linen clothes and the napkin, but found 
not the body of Jesus, they seeth two angels in white 
sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, 
where the body of Jesus had lain. And as they were 
afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, the 
angels said unto them, Why seek ye the living among 



124 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



the dead? Be not affrighted: ye seek Jesus of Naza- 
reth, which was crucified: he is not here: behold the 
place where they laid him. But he is risen from the 
dead; and goeth before you into Galilee: there shall 
ye see him. 

And as Peter departed, wondering in himself at 
that which was come to pass, behold, some of the 
watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief 
priests all the things that were done. And when they 
were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, 
they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say 
ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away 
while we slept; and if this come to the governor's ears, 
we will persuade him, arid secure you. So they took 
the money, and did as they were taught: and this 
saying is commonly reported among the Jews until 
this day. 

And behold two friends of Jesus went to a village 
called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about 
threescore furlongs; and they talked together of all 
these things which had happened. And it came to 
pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, 
Jesus himself drew near, and went with them, but their 
eyes were holden that they should not know him. And 
he said unto them, What manner of communications 
are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and 
are sad? And the one of them, whose name was 
Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a 
stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things 
which are come to pass there in these days? 



THE RESURRECTION 



125 



And he said unto them, What things? And they 
said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which 
was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and 
all the people ; and how the chief priests and our rulers 
delivered him to be condemned to death, and have 
crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he 
which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all 
this, today is the third day since these things were 
done. Yea, and certain women also of our company 
made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre ; 
and when they found not his body, they came, saying, 
that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said 
that he was alive ; and certain of them which were with 
us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the 
women had said, but him they saw not. 

Then Jesus said unto them, Ought not Christ to 
have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he 
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things 
concerning himself. And he led them out as far as 
to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed 
them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he 
was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 
And they worshipped him with great joy.* And they 
said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, 
while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened 
to us the scriptures? 

Then the same day at evening, being the first day 
of the week, when the doors were shut where the 
disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came 

* Note 29 



126 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, 
Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he 
showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were 
the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then 
said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my 
Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 

But Thomas, called Didymus, was not with them 
when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said 
unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto 
them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the 
nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, 
and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 
And after eight days again his disciples were within, 
and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors 
being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be 
unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither 
thy finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy 
hand, and thrust it into my side : and be not faithless, 
but believing. 

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord 
and my God ! Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because 
thou hast seen me, thou hast believed : blessed are they 
that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

And Jesus said unto the disciples, behold, I send 
the promise of my Father upon you : but tarry ye in the 
city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from 
on high. I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, 
that all things must be fulfilled, which were written 
in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the' 
psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their under- 



THE RESURRECTION 



127 



standing, that they might understand the scriptures; 
and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it 
behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the 
third day; and that repentance and remission of sins 
should be preached in his name among all nations, 
beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of 
these things. 

After this, the disciples went away into Galilee 
into a mountain, and Jesus came and spake unto them, 
saying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel 
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe 
all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, 
I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. 

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as 
he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white 
apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand 
ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is 
taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like 
manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. And they 
went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord work- 
ing with them, and confirming the word with signs 
following. 

Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence 
of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 
but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus 
is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, 
ye might have life through his name. 



128 A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD 

Now which of you, intending to build a house 
sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether 
he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he 
hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all 
that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man 
began to build, and was not able to finish! Or what 
king, going to make war against another king, sitteth 
not down first, and consulteth whether he be able 
with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against 
him with twenty thousand? 

In patience possess ye your souls, and take heed 
that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my 
name, saying, "I am Christ; and the time draweth 
near." Go ye not therefore after them. And when 
ye hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for 
these things must come to pass. Nation shall rise 
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and 
great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, 
and pestilences. Watch ye therefore, and pray, that 
ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things 
that shall come to pass. 

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth 
his life for the sheep : but he that is an hireling, and not 
the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the 
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and 
the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and 
to destroy : but I am come that all might have life, and 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD 



I2Q 



that they might have it more abundantly: and ye 
both know me, and ye know whence I am. 

If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is 
my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that 
he is your God. And though I bear record of myself, 
yet my record is true: for I know whence I came 
and whither I go: for I proceeded forth and came 
from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 
I lay down my life, that I might take it again ; no man 
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have 
power to lay it down, and I have power to take 
it again. This commandment have I received of my 
Father. 

Now he that belie veth on me, believeth not on me, 
but on him that sent me, for I am come a light into the 
world, that whosoever believeth on me should not 
abide in darkness ; and if any man hear my words, and 
believe not, I judge him not, for I came not to judge 
the world, but to save the world; and he that rejecteth 
me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judge th 
him : the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge 
him in the last day. I have not spoken of myself, but 
the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, 
what I should say, and what I should speak; and I 
know that his commandment is life everlasting. 
Whatsoever I have said therefore, even as the Father 
said unto me, so have I spoken. But take heed and 
beware of covetousness : for a man's life consisteth not 
in the abundance of the things which he possesseth ; and 
if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 
9 



(X 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



and take up his cross daily, and follow me: for who- 
soever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever 
will lose his life for Christ's sake, the same shall save it : 
for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole 
world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man 
give in exchange for his soul? 

It is written in the prophets, They shall all be taught 
of God.* Every man therefore that hath heard, and 
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Your 
fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead, 
but I am the living bread which cometh down from 
heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for 
ever: and the bread that I give is my physical life, 
which I give for the life of the world. I am the bread 
of life; verily, verily I say unto you, He that belie vet h 
on me hath everlasting life. 

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to 
repentance: for the law and the prophets were until 
John. Since that time the kingdom of God is 
preached, and every man presseth into it, so that 
the blind now receive their sight, and the lame walk; 
the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead 
are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached 
to them. 

The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard 
seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than 
all the seeds that be in the earth, but when it is sown, 
it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, 
and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of 
the air may lodge under the shadow of it. Also the 

* Note 30 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD 



kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman 
took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole 
was leavened. 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure 
hid in a field, the which, when a man hath found, he 
hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that 
he hath, and buyeth that field. 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a 
merchant man, seeking goodly pearls, who, when he 
had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all 
that he had, and bought it. 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, 
that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind ; 
which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat 
down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the 
bad away. 

So shall it be at the end of the world: God and 
his angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from 
among the just. 

The kingdom of God cometh not with observation, 
for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.* I am 
the light of the world. Come unto me all ye that 
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; 
take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek 
and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your 
souls. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. If 
any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. The 
Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but 
to save them. But not every one that saith unto me, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; 

* Note 31 



A STORY OF JESUS— THE CHRIST 



but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in 
heaven. 

Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid 
them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. It is 
not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one 
of these little ones should perish. Verily I say unto 
you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God 
as a little child shall in no wise enter therein ; and there 
is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, 
or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake who 
shall not receive manifold more in this present time, 
and in the world to come, life everlasting. 

Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and 
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which 
built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, 
and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat 
upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded 
upon a rock: and every one that heareth these sayings 
of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto 
a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 
and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the 
winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and 
great was the fall of it. 

In my Father's house are many mansions. If 
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare 
a place for you and will come again, to receive you 
unto myself, that where I am ye may be also. And 
where I go, ye know, and the way ye know. 

I am the good shepherd ; I am the door of the sheep : 
by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD 



i33 



go in and out and find pasture. And other sheep have 
I, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring: 
and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one 
fold, and one shepherd. 

Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when I come; 
at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in 
the morning. And what I say unto you, I say unto 
all, Watch. 



No man, having put his hand 
to the plough, and looking back, 
is fit for the Kingdom of God. 

— Jesus. 



NOTES 



NOTE i . The Churches : The churches of the past have done a 
good work. Regardless of all criticism which might be made, the 
church as an institution has been the greatest of all factors in resisting 
the excessive materialism which has accompanied the rapid growth of 
our many-sided civilization. The church has had, it now has, and 
should always continue to have a very definite place in the life of man. 
The church, the school, and the home are the three greatest continuing 
forces in the world. The school, except in matters pertaining to 
right and wrong, is a neutral institution and should always remain so. 
But the church, as an institution, has heretofore considered herself 
as being at enmity with the world. Now the world, mature in physical 
development, should reverse this attitude and should court the church, 
and if possible, win her — to nurture, develop and conserve the best in 
life for all of mankind. The world is not evil; it is mostly man and 
his doings which constitute the sum total of evil in the world. So the 
church, the school, and the home ought really to be made together, the 
world's three greatest permanent allies. And if God and we, through 
the school, the church and the home, are in love henceforth united, 
the home life of man will become, as it should be, the supreme creating 
force of God in this world. And with the world, the home, the school, 
and the church thus united, and with the church conserving all, we 
shall attain true freedom; and the excessive materialism of worldly 
man will gradually disappear and will become a thing of the past. 

NOTE 2. Forty-two Generations: The words "forty-two genera- 
tions" do not appear in the Bible. The original text, Matthew 1:17 
reads as follows: "So all the generations from Abraham to David are 
fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into 
Babylon are fourteen generations ; and from the carrying away into 
Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations." 

NOTE 3. He said unto him: The sayings of Jesus, as pub- 
lished in this book, are not arranged in all cases in exact order of 
sequence. The general plan has been to get away, in so far as possible, 
from details concerning time and place and to group together under 
a few logical headings, the leading facts concerning the life of the 



135 



136 



NOTES 



Master, together with the teachings delivered by him to the apostles 
and others. 

NOTE 4. Thy good things: All men are naturally interested in 
gaining from life all which they find it possible to get; and the coveting 
of things possessed by others has been one of the commonest of the 
shortcomings of man during all generations. We need to give more 
thought to desiring and working for the truly fundamental things 
of life, and to the possible gaining by each man of the truly good 
things of this life to which each man is by right entitled. We desire 
social justice and equal opportunity for all; and toward this end there 
is much which the church can do for mankind. 

NOTE 5. Ye have done it unto me: Christ, more than any other 
who ever lived, brings home to each one of us a realization of the 
necessity for our considering carefully our relations both to God and 
to our fellow men. Christ has done more, perhaps, than all of the 
other great teachers combined, toward awakening men to the truth of 
the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. The greatest duty 
of the church today, possibly, is to help work out ways and means for 
giving fair treatment to those who have been deprived in some respects 
of their birthrights and who are in one way or another individually or 
socially unfortunate. 

NOTE 6. And it cometh to pass: Jesus told men that they could 
discern the face of the sky and earth but that they would not recognize 
the significant facts of their own time. Jesus knew men thoroughly; 
also, Nature in all of her moods. He knew that man is short-sighted 
and needs to be forgiven for a large part of the things which he does. 
As a genuine child of Nature, however, and as an interpreter of Nature 
to man, Jesus surpasses all other men in the wonderful spiritual lessons 
which he has drawn from the simple facts of the material world. Sun 
and sky, fig tree, grape vine, thunder storm, kernel of wheat, or mustard 
seed — each seemed to have within it a spiritual lesson which he could 
draw out for others. 

NOTE 7. Is it not lawful? The original text, Matthew 20:15 
reads: "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?" In 
the past two thousand years many new questions have been forced 
upon men. The economic problems of our modern civilization are 
ones which we ourselves must settle. Matters involving the finer 
points of property rights, wages, and human welfare, viewed in the 
broadest sense, are problems distinctly our own. In the earthly 



NOTES 



i37 



career of Jesus he encountered no such advanced or difficult economic 
questions as we must face today. But he did show us the right 
spirit in which to face all such matters; and with his spirit applied, in 
a practical way to the solution of modern problems, all will be more 
easily settled. 

NOTE 8. Those that sit at meat with thee: The original text, 
Luke 14:8 reads: "Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of 
them that sit at meat with thee." Substituting the word respect for 
worship puts this quotation more in line with modern thought. 

NOTE 9. And cast out devils: Devils in man are the result of 
negative conditions: and man has already wasted too much time in 
pondering over negative things. So-called devils must be educated 
out of man. Instruction directed towards making our domestic and 
economic life easier, better, and happier for each individual offers a real 
opportunity for the church of today. There might well be formed in 
each and every church some sort of positivist club or association 
which would have for its sole task the work of making the church, both 
singly and collectively, a greater factor in the development of more 
positive living conditions throughout all branches of our modern 
civilization. The devils of our modern life will be cast out in pro- 
portion as we educate man to change the conditions which produce 
wrong thoughts and evil environments. Surely the church has its 
full share of modern educational work to do. 

NOTE 10. He keepeth not the Sabbath day: The designation 
of one day in seven as a day of rest has been a glorious boon to man- 
kind; but conditions change. The very progress and development of 
our own civilization is one of the means of man's redemption. For 
instance, today, we have our automobiles, the trolley cars, the parks, 
and good roads. These have broadened man's vision of the value of 
the Sabbath. We must keep them all, and find how we can harmonize 
one with the other, retaining, in so far as we can, the spirit of the old- 
time Sabbath as a day of rest and meditation, while permitting Sunday 
to be as it now is, a day of recreation also. 

NOTE 11. Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the 
gospel's, the same shall save it: Jesus said, "I go away, and come 
again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go 
unto the Father." Paul says in one of his epistles to the Corinthians, 
"Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the 



NOTES 



things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the 
things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen 
are eternal." 

NOTE 12. Whosoever liveth and belie veth in me shall never 
die: Many have been unable to understand the mingling of gladness 
and sadness in the Saviour's life. The true mission of Jesus was to show 
man that the grave does not end all. Men lived and died in faith, and 
went to heaven before the time of Jesus, much as they do now: but 
Jesus knew beforehand that there is a life after death. He wanted 
all men to know this; and he dared to show men, by the giving of his 
own life, that his teaching was true. Jesus was both glad and sad in 
this, just as we, in moving from one place to another are sad in breaking 
the old associations; but are glad because of the new things which we 
know will come through going. 

NOTE 13. Shall reward thee openly: Perhaps one of the best 
evidences of Christ's practical good sense is the fact that he recognized 
that all men want some sort of return for the things which they do; 
and he made it a point to show that the things which he taught men 
to do were not without a sufficient reward. A fundamental tenet of 
the Christian faith is that the laborer is worthy of, and must receive, 
his hire. Christ has done more than any other to teach that the 
dealings of man must be performed in the open, and always subject to 
the light, rather than in darkness and under cover of darkness or 
falsehood, and that those who work for mankind must be rewarded. 

NOTE 14. And all these things shall be added unto you: In the 
way of actual results produced from his own life, we are warranted in 
saying that Jesus is the most successful man who has ever lived. If 
Jesus were on earth today he would teach the same principle of holding 
first to the service of God; but rest assured, that in addition to this, 
he would teach the necessity of every man's being fitted thoroughly to 
perform some particular form of special service for others : for it is by 
serving others efficiently, that we best serve both God and ourselves. 

NOTE 15. And all things whatsoever ye would that men should 
do unto you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets : 
Jesus was not the originator of the Golden Rule, but he was one of the 
few of his time who dared to preach and to live it. 

NOTE 16. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which 
is in heaven forgive your trespasses: The Mosaic law demanded an 
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and inflexible punishment for an 



NOTES 



i39 



act of transgression. But John the Baptist, Jesus, Stephen and a 
myriad of other Christian martyrs have willingly sacrificed themselves 
for the sake of bringing into the world a new doctrine of kindness, 
forgiveness and cooperation among men. We reap today a wonderful 
harvest in this particular, because of the kindly spirit and sacrifices of 
all who have lived and died for mankind. To treat others kindly, and 
to forgive if need be, is one of the first duties of man. 

NOTE 17. Then the Jews took up stones to stone him: Of all the 
cruel practices of men, surely one of the most barbarous was this 
Jewish practice of stoning outcasts to death. Modern men, too, at 
times, stone their contemporaries to death, only in ways different 
from that practiced by our ancestors. Newspaper type is today the 
most common missile used for this purpose. 

NOTE 18. Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things : 
Men have been drunk these many years with a lust for authority, power, 
dominion or control over others. Governments, churches, schools, 
husbands and wives have all been afflicted with this same malady. 
It has been a disease which has been more than anything else a reaction 
of the race against the reign of kings and of all who would usurp and 
misuse the power of one man to guide or direct another. Fair dealing, 
courage and a constant consideration for the welfare and viewpoint 
of others should always accompany the exercise of authority of one over 
another. This was lacking in those who inquired of Jesus his authority 
to do the work which he was sent to do. 

NOTE 19. Signifying what death he should die: Christ said, 
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 
This he said, signifying what death he should die." He tried over and 
over again to show the disciples the brighter side of his own departure 
from this physical life. In Jeremiah 31:13 we find these words: "I 
will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make 
them rejoice from their sorrow." In no respect did Jesus show both 
the human and the divine in him, more than through the mingling of 
joy and sadness over the suffering which he knew was to come upon 
him. When he thought of the pain which he would have to suffer, he 
necessarily must have been sadly depressed: but when he thought of 
the beautiful outlook which his death would give to untold millions 
of others, he was able to forget the physical suffering he would 
undergo, and was glad in the service which he could thus render to 
all mankind. 



IzJ-O 



NOTES 



NOTE 20. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of 
God: It is much the same today. Men are slow to learn that there 
is no justification in living merely for the praise of others. Real happi- 
ness can come only from an inward realization of doing things well. 
To live in conformity with God's law is the best way: for the laws of 
God are made essentially for the happiness and well-being of man. 
We might well adopt as our standard, the parting advice of Paul in his 
second epistle to the Corinthians, when he says, "Be perfect; be of 
good comfort; be of one mind; live in peace: and the God of love and 
peace shall be with you." 

NOTE 21. And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him: In 
Matthew 26:14-16 we read: "One of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, 
went unto the chief priests and said unto them, ' What will ye give me, 
and I will deliver him unto you? ' And they covenanted with him for 
thirty pieces of silver; and from that time he sought opportunity to 
betray him." Additional statements regarding Judas and Jesus at 
this time will be found in Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 
22:1-6; Luke 22:21-22; John 13:2 and John 13:18-30. We need in 
modern life to take a strong hold on the positive facts of existence. 
Man will continue to find his life beset with trouble as long as he per- 
mits his mind to receive unresisted, temptations to do that which is 
inherently wrong. 

NOTE 22. In my Father's house are many mansions: Man has 
come to learn in comparatively recent times only a few of the hidden, 
yet knowable facts of astronomy. Few men even now have any con- 
ception of the real greatness and wonderful beauty of the universe. 
Christ knew — and knowing, it meant more to him than all else — that 
man has a place to which he will go beyond this earthly existence. 
Death was to him a transference from one realm to another. The 
various planets are mansions of God ; and in time we will come to know 
better, that the planets and the numberless outer worlds are not only 
the mansions of God, but that they are as well, the homes of our 
neighbors. 

NOTE 23. All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made 
known unto you: Jesus is the most fascinating teacher the world has 
ever produced. In Mark 4:34 we are told that when Jesus and the 
disciples were alone, he expounded all things unto them. But the 
teachings of Jesus, as found in the Bible, are mostly in the nature of 
public utterances. It is our loss that we do not know more of the home 



NOTES 



141 



life of the Master. In the chapter entitled INSTRUCTIONS TO 
THE DISCIPLES an effort has been made to show as much as possible 
of the closer personal relations existing between Jesus and those who 
lived and worked with him. In order to do this, and in order to secure 
a proper setting for the quotations used, there have been grouped 
together in this chapter those sayings of Christ which might be con- 
sidered as definite instructions to the disciples in the work they were 
to do. It will be remembered that he gave to the disciples at their 
last supper the spirit of all that he had told them before. It has been 
thought allowable, therefore, that some of his previous sayings be 
grouped (in this chapter) with those words which he spoke during their 
last evening together. With this explanation, it is hoped that the 
slight liberties taken in this respect will be considered as being entirely 
permissible. 

NOTE 24. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be ful- 
filled that is written in their law: It is quite probable that too much 
emphasis has been placed, in times past, upon attempting to interpret 
prophecies. It is not so important to live the thoughts of past genera- 
tions, as it is to interpret and to know and to live the impulses of love 
and of service and of a right self-control which are planted in the pro- 
gressive life of today. Prophesies have no doubt been overdone. 
What we need henceforth is guidance and direction in the full, right 
living of our own lives of today. 

NOTE 25. That preach ye upon the housetops: The Christian 
religion has produced a most wonderful army of preaches, missionaries 
and individual followers who have sought to live personally better 
lives, and who have at the same time influenced helpfully the lives of 
others. The gospel of Christ has been, and is essentially, a progressive, 
unifying force in the world. He who has the true spirit of Christ 
within, desires both to live a right life himself, and to do something 
worth while for others. 

NOTE 26. I come to thee: Jesus said, "I have glorified thee on 
the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." If 
we could each see our work as John and Jesus saw theirs, and would 
work in the same spirit as they did, the world would soon become, for 
all, a most glorious place in which to live. We each have our own dis- 
tinct work to do; and in some respects it is just as great and hard a work 
as the prophets, or John or Jesus, or the disciples had to do. And in 
doing our own work, we do well always to remember that we have at 



142 



NOTES 



all times a helper present in Christ, who promised, " Greater works shall 
ye do, because I go to the Father." 

NOTE 27. I am a King: Jesus was truly a king. He came unto 
his own; and his own, with a few exceptions, received him not. He 
desired not a temporal kingship, but was by birth, a prince of peace, 
and is forever a leader of those who desire and seek that which is true. 
His life is incorporated in a thousand ways into the lives of each one 
of us, and his spirit of love and kindness is now, and will be forever, a 
dominant, impelling force in the affairs of men. We can do no better 
than to remember this saying of his, regarding himself as a king, "To 
this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I 
should bear witness unto the truth." 

NOTE 28. Besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and 
that they might be taken away: Each race, and each national, social, 
or economic group is likely to have a record of cruelty all its own. In 
connection with the life and crucifixion of Jesus we should not lay too 
much of blame upon members of his own race. The Jews as a race 
have had their own inner problems to solve, and as a whole, they are 
a wonderful people : we must give their race credit for many marvelous 
men produced. But it is their own loss that they have not shown 
greater appreciation for Jesus. An exact statement of modern Jewish 
attitude toward Jesus is earnestly requested. 

NOTE 29. And they worshipped him with great joy: We each 
owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Jesus. He held constantly to 
the divine principle of service abiding within him, and in so doing he 
demonstrated to all men, for all future time, the fact that there is a 
spiritual existence. His demonstration of man's superiority to death 
should make life easier and happier for every other man born into 
the world. This is the true reason why men worship him as 
they do. 

NOTE 30. They shall all be taught of God: The time is coming 
when men will look upon all truth, all science, and all real beauty of 
thought and action, as coming through man, from God. Man is 
rapidly coming into his own and is learning that God is the source of 
all good thoughts and deeds, the active, dominating force or principle 
of life within each one of us. The will of man is yielding to the will 
of God, as man himself becomes more intelligent: and in proportion as 
man yields his will to the will of God, does his own life become much 
easier and happier, and far better in every respect. 



NOTES 



H3 



NOTE 31. Behold, the Kingdom of God is Within You: We 

read in the 145th Psalm, "The Lord is good to all: and his tender 
mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O 
Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of 
thy kingdom, and talk of thy power: to make known to the sons of 
men thy mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of thy kingdom. Thy 
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth 
throughout all generations. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and 
holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon 
him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them 
that fear him : he will also hear their cry and will save them. The Lord 
preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.'' 
We have here a good outline of the relation of God to man. God is 
Truth; God is Love; God is Mind; God is Spirit: and through spirit, 
mind and love, God in truth delegates to man his creative power, and 
shares with man the eternal kingdom. Thus, as we in truth reflect 
God, through spirit, mind, and love, the kingdom of God exists, and 
will continue to exist, within us. 



May 30, iqi6. 



LOUIS A. DAMON, 

2259 Marshall Blvd., 

Chicago 



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